RULE NUMBER 1...... (Estate Agents in general)

Member Name: Landmark

Product:	Estate Agents in general
Date:	18/05/01 (653 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Will show you how to pick the right agent.

Disadvantages: estate agents!!!

Pick the right agent.Being a former estate agent and now a property developer I fell I am in a good position to chat about this. When choosing an agent do a bit of reasearch into local prices first ring up agents in your area and get details of properties in your area similar to yours have a good, honest look at them and form an opinion on price by weighing up your good and bad points against that of other props. Make sure you get details froma variety of agents. You are now ready to get the agents round 3 or 4 is about the average to invite round. First thing to make sure is that the comapny is NAEA registered( National Association of Estate Agents) and registered with the Ombudsman. If registered with an Ombudsman you can fall abck onthis in the case of any complaints and claim compensation if they are not registered you will have to try and take them to court which is a long expensive road. Also check the valuer is either qualified by FRICS, ARICS, Cert.REA,FNAEA, NAEA or similar. Do not tell agents what other agents have said about the value of your house as their favourite trick is to laugh the value off as if way too low, overvalue your property pleasing you thinking your property is worth more. They will then stick it on the market at an inflated price to get it listed. 6 weeks later the phone ring and "market conditions dictate that your price is too high for buyers current erquirements and we suggest that you drop it to bring it in line with requirements" they will then recommend that you drop the price probably to what the other agents have said in the first place and you have lost 6 weeks of marketing. Always check that the agents have brought comparables. These are what you have gathered in the first place and are the best way to ascertain the value of a proerty. if the agent brings details of proeprties that they a have sold locally, recently then this a good sign but be sure to ask them what prices they got. A prop for sale at £75k doesn'
t mean it is worth that or sold for that. When you pick an agent and sign the contract make sure that there are no withdrawal charges and also get the agent to put any promises about advertising etc on the contract. This way they have to do what they have said or they are in breach of contract. There are many more points to go into but the basics outlined above should see you through. Also make sure that you get confirmation of any offers made on your property in writing within 48 hours this is the law.

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