3 things to consider when appointing your estate agent
Let’s face it, estate agents are everywhere but what are 3 of the most important things you should find out about them beforehand?
Who will I be working with? This might sound like an unusual question, but here is why it’s a biggy. The person you meet on the initial appointment might be fantastic and be a great fit for you, but will they be dealing with you day to day? A standard arrangement for estate agents is the manager, or valuer will do the valuation, and then once you’ve signed up, you’ll then be liaising with various negotiators within the office, who will be handling viewings, offers, and should be regularly updating. If this is the case, we’d strongly recommend you insist on a team visit to your home. We hear about it all the time, when the negotiators are doing viewings or discussing your home with potential buyers, but haven’t even seen it in person, which I’m sure you will agree does not put them in the best position to achieve the best price. `
On the other hand, there will be other companies with a similar setup to Mortlock & Joyce, where you deal directly with the business owner from start to finish. From the initial appointment to viewings, offer handling and passing the keys on the day. You have one main point of contact, and sellers usually find comfort in the continuity, as communicating is far more straightforward.
How is my home going to be presented? Professional marketing should be non-negotiable. We wouldn’t allow a photographer to turn up to our wedding day with just their iPhone, so we certainly wouldn’t be happy if they tried to do so with the most expensive thing we’ll likely ever own. Every home deserves beautiful marketing, not only does it help with interest levels but in many cases will help achieve the best price for your home. Aside from professional photos and a floorplan, it is important to include video in our marketing for a few reasons. Firstly, at the time of writing this, Rightmove tells us that a property with a video receives 6% more enquiries than one without. Secondly, away from Rightmove, which is an absolute powerhouse, there is social media marketing with algorithms geared towards pushing out content in this format. We’ve had millions of views on our property tours and managed to introduce buyers this way too, which makes you far less reliant on the portal enquiries.
What are the contract terms? It’s common to see contracts of 12-20 weeks which I would be extremely cautious about signing. If a business is confident enough to deliver a great service, why do they need to hold you ransom for 3-5 months?! They shouldn’t. Anything 6 weeks and under is reasonable and if you insist on this, you’ll find more companies will be likely to agree it is fair. Now you have flexibility. If you are happy with the agent, then you can keep it rolling but if they are not performing, you aren’t forced into a difficult position. You’re in the driving seat and can part ways if they haven’t delivered on what they have said they will do.
When we started Mortlock & Joyce, we introduced 0-week contracts, with just a 14-day notice period and have found sellers appreciate the flexibility, and honestly, we think it’s made conversations far more open and clearer from the offset.
If you have appointments scheduled and want to use one of the team as a sounding board, we’d be happy to walk you through it.
