Take five;
Sellers – get your IPad out and save five minutes for five quick checks before estate agents valuations
It’s the day you’ve booked to for all the estate agents to come round – before each one turns up, take five with a cuppa of your choice and have a whip round the five website suggestions below as a good way to learn more about the people you’re about to meet. Doing this kind of research might spark some good questions to ask the agents and, at the very least, you’ll get an insight into the firms and maybe even the individuals you’d be dealing with if you chose them.
1. Go to Google Maps – all of your agents are likely to be located close together so one Maps search and you’ve got access to all their Google reviews, basic business info plus any articles/photos they have published.
2. Click through from Maps and try the estate agents own website – many will have an About Us section. Does each person have a specific role? How do they fit into the team? Who would you be dealing with through your transaction?
3. Facebook – good local agents are part of their community and these days that very much includes social media. Check their reviews, find out if they are actively using social media to engage & inform customers.
4. Allagents.co.uk – you wouldn’t book a hotel without checking their TripAdvisor reviews so why would you choose an agent without doing the same on the property industry equivalent website?
5. GetAgent.co.uk – a very clever site that, based on actual results, tells you three key facts about your local agents – average sale time, amount of properties listed and % of asking price achieved. In other words, who sells the fastest and who is likely to be the most accurate at valuing your home.
Boom! There you go – five quick checks and you’ve got a wealth of info on each agent before they arrive. Pop your cup in the sink and you’re ready for the doorbell to go. Good luck!