If you are dissatisfied with the service of an estate agent, you may feel the need to quickly switch to another estate agent whom you can rely on to perform all the important tasks for you, such as buying or selling a property. You may have decided to switch to your current estate agent because you may have found them unresponsive to your queries, or they may not have communicated properly with you.
Many sellers decide to switch agents if they find that their property is in the market for many months without good offers. They may discover that their current agents are not putting in much effort to sell their property. If you also have the same thoughts, you may have decided to switch your current estate agent. But you may wonder what now? Here is an idea. You can consider the possibility of hiring reputed estate agents who will offer the best services for you. If you are a buyer looking for a property, they will help you to look for the best property, and if you are a renter, they will offer you great advice on renting a property and also homes for rent. Find out all the details of what you can do if you are switching your current estate agent.
Important things to know if you are switching your current estate agent
- Read the contract
If you have decided to switch your current estate agent, you have to read the contract and then only you can move ahead. You will find that most often, the agents have a minimum tie-in period, so check the dates and know about the withdrawal fee. This period may usually be one to three months and it can depend on the agency or the local competition.
- Give the notice period
Most estate agents need a notice period of about two weeks that enables them to perform a final try and assist you. But some estate agents can also decide to cancel any viewings and remove your property from sale to gradually stop assisting you. But you have to wait until the notice period ends to end all ties with your current estate agent. After this process, you may be free to choose the services of new estate agents.
So you have to check your contract to know about the notice period and give it in the form of writing through an email or a letter for it to be legally binding. At the end, ask them to remove any listings or marketing they are doing on your behalf.
What can you do to find a good estate agent?
After your experience with an estate agent who was not a great fit, you may have second thoughts about hiring a new one. But it is really useful if you choose the services of the best estate agents because they are experts at what they do and will make your journey hassle-free to the end. If you put your mind to finding the best estate agent you can do it with only a little effort on your part. Follow the steps below to find an estate agent who you can trust.
- Do a background check on industry credentials
The best estate agents and agencies are part of prestigious and well-known organisations as they have memberships in these institutions which increase their credibility among their clients. Therefore you can look for estate agents who are part of such an organisation because if they are part of it this means they show a higher level of professionalism and diligence. Also, the agents will comply with the code of conduct so you can trust them to do your work.
- Get recommendations
It is a great idea to get recommendations from your family members, friends and colleagues to know about the best estate agents who may be operating in their area. They may offer you some good recommendations which can help you to find an estate agent easily as this saves a lot of your time and energy.
- Book property valuations
If you want to find the best estate agent you can book an appointment to get an estimate of your property because based on this you can find out if an estate agent is suitable for you or not. Most importantly, do not be impressed by the agent that values your property highest because it is best to go for the agent who is reasonable and honest.
- Ask them questions
If you get an opportunity to talk with an agent you can ask them questions about the property market, their knowledge of the area or other matters related to the property industry. If you are satisfied with their responses and find that they are ready to understand your requirements you can consider hiring them as your agent.
- Have a look at their website
You can go through the estate company’s website to know how they are listing the properties and check how many properties they have sold. You can also go through the client testimonials and reviews to know about their reputation in the area they are operating.
- Know their marketing strategy
If you are choosing a new estate agent it is best to know about their marketing strategy so you can learn beforehand what they will do to market your property. For instance, you can check if they are using any latest features like virtual tours to market your property and if they have the best lead generation tools to generate high quality leads.
- Have a look at the contract
After you have narrowed all your options down to an estate agent, you can read the contract and know about the details of the terms you agreed to. If you have any doubts ask the agent to explain the difficult or complex terms. Plus, make sure to check the aspects like the length of the contract.
Why does choosing a good estate agent matter?
If you are choosing a good estate agent to buy or sell your property it will help you to achieve your goals properly and at the right time. There is no need to feel stressed or frustrated if any problems occur because the agents will be present to offer their services. So if you are thinking of switching your current estate agent, you have to take care to choose the services of the best estate agent.
