What does an estate agent do when selling a house?
03/03/2021

Help you set the value of your home

An estate agent will be able to give you an expert view on how much your house is worth, setting it at the right price to market.
They will draw upon their knowledge of the local property market as well sold prices of other local homes like yours. It is important to do your research first so you have a figure in your mind.
To do this, start by getting a free online instant valuation and by checking Land Registry figures

A good agent will have experience of what features buyers in the local area are looking for, If you are considering using an online estate agent,
you need to know that online agents tend to lack knowledge of the local market and will therefore be heavily reliant on online data to carry out their valuations.

Market your home

Your estate agent should arrange for your property to be professionally photographed, get an accurate floor plan drawn up and write a detailed, accurate, attractive description of your home to be used in the brochure, its shop window and on the big property portals.

You shouldn’t have to pay any extra for the photography and these other basics as they should all be included in the % fee the estate agent charges for marketing and selling your home.

Before you start marketing your home it is a legal requirement to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) which tells potential buyers how information about a property’s energy use and typical energy costs. Your home will be given an energy efficiency rating from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient) and the EPC is valid for 10 years.

If you don’t have it. Your local estate agent can organise this for you for a fee.

Conduct viewings

Your estate agent will arrange viewings of your home and guide potential buyers around the property answering any questions or queries people have.
Your agent should also make sure your property is secure when they leave after a viewing.
Once your property is on the books with an estate agent they may have a list of potential buyers who have expressed an interest in a property like yours that they will call to market your home to.

 The advantage of using an estate agent to conduct viewings on your behalf is they are seen as a more neutral party by potential buyers who may ask them questions that they would be embarrassed to ask the owner themselves.

Manage negotiations

A key part of an estate agent’s job is to manage negotiations and act as a go-between for any potential buyers and the owner of a property. Offers should be made to the estate agent who will pass them on to the owner and, similarly, relay the seller’s response to any offer submitted.

If you are thinking about making an offer on a property you can ask the estate agent for more information on the position of the owners – have they found their dream home and are they in need of a quick sale, or do they need
someone who is prepared to wait while they hunt for somewhere to live? Buyers can also usually get a feel for what level of offer might be considered acceptable by the vendor via the estate agent.

Many people think an estate agent’s job ends once an offer has been accepted, but this is where a good estate agent will really come into their own by helping make sure that the offer moves forward, unblocking issues up

During this period your estate agent can act as your adviser. You can lean on them as much or as little as you want.

You should choose a real estate agent who gives you confidence and can give you a subjective and real opinion of your situation in the real estate market.