Updated: 20 June 2023
The most successful agents will be focused on selling your property for the best price and in a timeframe that suits you. If everything goes to plan, they’ll put the right value on it, market it effectively to fresh buyers, create a ‘buzz’ with their proceedable registered applicants and then negotiate and progress your sale in a timely fashion to allow you to move on to your new home and this should all be done in the most pain free manner as possible.
That’s what we strive to achieve here at Goadsby and it’s what every seller hopes their experience will be.
But it’s not always plain sailing, and if your home’s been on the market for some time, with little or no interest, you might be feeling disappointed and thinking of changing agents.
There could be many reasons why things haven’t gone as you’d hoped. Your current agent may have seemed like the perfect choice to sell your home in the beginning, but they haven’t quite lived up to expectations. Maybe things they promised you in the ‘pitch’ haven’t come to fruition or they were optimistic on the price they advised you they could achieve. Maybe the viewings you were promised never materialised and now the agent is putting you under pressure to drop the price.
Or perhaps the attentive and positive agent who you first met at your valuation, doesn’t get involved in the ‘selling’ part and you have not had any interaction with him/her since your first meeting?
On the other hand, you may think your agent really has done their best, but for some reason things just haven’t worked out, and it’s probably time for a change.
Whatever the situation, if you are not getting the result you want and you feel switching agents is your best option, what’s the best way to go about it?
Here are some pointers for you:-
1. Be clear on exactly what’s not working for you
It’s often helpful to make a list of what you’re not happy with and what’s been done to address things to date, so that you’re well prepared for a frank conversation with your estate agent. Doing this will also help you be clear on what you want a new agent to do differently.
2. Check the terms of your contract
The most common contract between an agent and their client is ‘sole agency’, meaning that only that estate agent has the right to sell your home and claim the sale commission. Check if you have a tie-in period, and what notice you need to give, so you can plan accordingly.
3. Shortlist alternative estate agents
If you’re ready to switch estate agents, ask your friends, family and colleagues which agent they would recommend in the local area and why. Then check out these agents’ portfolios. Are they currently listing and selling homes like yours?? Check out their reviews on Google and have a look at their own website what are their standards of photography and marketing like? Do they offer video walkthroughs and instant viewing feedback?
When you have one or two agents you think would be worth chatting to, make the calls and arrange for them to come and appraise your home.
4. Ask the right questions
Asking the right questions of a prospective new estate agent will furnish you with the right information so you can make an informed decision, and potentially improve your chance of selling and moving on.
Use this list of questions as a checklist to start an open dialogue with the agent:
Why do you think our home hasn’t sold? Is it the price, the marketing, the presentation…?
Is there anything you think we need to do or change about the presentation and styling of our home to achieve the best price?
What will you do differently to our previous agent? This is a really important question, because you don’t want the same challenges you’ve already faced to reappear with a new agent.
How often will you communicate with us, and will it be by call, email? For instance, will they phone you with feedback after each viewing? In our experience, when clients aren’t happy with their agent, it’s often because of a lack of communication – and that can be a challenge regardless of whether you’ve been on the market for a week or several months – so get a commitment from them on staying in touch and keeping you informed.
During the valuation meeting, notice whether the agent is also asking you questions. You want an agent to be interested in understanding your situation, as well as your motivation for moving home, so they can tailor their approach to give you the selling experience you deserve!
5. Seal the deal
Ask yourself, do you like them enough to want to see them again?! When it works best, the relationship between you and your estate agent is a partnership – one that will last at least for months, and sometimes, years. So if you feel confident in your choice go for it!
Our teams would love to hear from you and have a confidential chat about what options are available to you. We promise to be honest and frank with you, advise you why we think your home has not yet sold and what we think we can do to help.
We rarely suggest a price reduction to start with and prefer to rely on our superior marketing skills as a first approach, but let us tell you more about those in person!
Please click the link offices and contacts to see a list of our branches and contacts and we look forward to hearing from you !