In the last five years or so it has become generally accepted by savvy consumers that instructing an internet estate agent will save you money when compared to a traditional agency; but let’s not forget it’s not always all about the money! If you have already made the decision to opt for an online agent take the time to consider these five essential points to ensure you instruct the right agent for your needs before taking the plunge:
In the last five years or so it has become generally accepted by savvy consumers that instructing an internet estate agent will save you money when compared to a traditional agency; but let’s not forget it’s not always all about the money! If you have already made the decision to opt for an online agent take the time to consider these five essential points to ensure you instruct the right agent for your needs before taking the plunge:
Reviews An established well respected agency should have online reviews from clients for you to read either on their own website, blog or via an independent review site such as TrustPilot. Click here to view an example. Reviews from an independent site provide you with a strong starting point, if a company has positive reviews online it’s worth looking further into what they can offer you.
Communication The agency you use will be selling or letting one of your most prized assets so you need to be certain you will be able to communicate easily with them and be confident that they are friendly and efficient. Make a list of a few agencies with good online reviews and give them a call, what kind of impression do they give? Be sure to ask what their opening hours are as this is vital, potential buyers and tenants need to be able to contact your agent seven days a week by phone and email, extended hours are a bonus so look for an agency that does more than just the basic 9 to 5.
Affiliations It is absolutely vital that the internet estate agent you decide to instruct is a member of both the Property Ombudsmun and the Office of Fair Trading. These affiliations really should be an industry standard but be sure to look out for the logos on the website and confirm when you call. If you are a landlord also keep an eye out for affiliations to the NLA – National Landlords Association and RLA – Residential Landlords Association which all established agencies should have.
Credentials As an industry estate agency is still unregulated so as well as being affiliated with the appropriate bodies it is important to know the agents you will be dealing with are fully qualified to minimise risk. Look out for qualifications from the National Association of Estate Agents NAEA and the Association of Residential Letting Agents ARLA.
Exposure You need to know that the agent you decide on will give your property good marketing exposure. All the credentials and great customer service in the world are pretty much useless without a strong marketing strategy. You need an agent who ticks all the boxes and a comprehensive coverage of all the major property portals including Rightmove and Zoopla really is essential to success. Smaller agencies may not be able to offer marketing on the larger portals due to high costs so do ask exactly what your money will get you marketing wise.
Covering these five main points will help smooth the way ensuring you have a positive and successful experience selling or letting your property using an internet estate agent; whilst saving a small fortune as an added bonus!
Written by Sarah Male, Urban Sales and Lettings
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