When it comes to selling a property you need to know that the estate agent you employ is going to be working hard on your behalf to both sell the place quickly and achieve the sale price you want for it. In theory this is what every estate agent should be doing because they only get paid when the sale goes through and the more it sells for, the more they will be paid. However, it doesn’t always work like this.

The are some unscrupulous agents that will fail to act in the best interests of their client for one reason or another. But how, as a property seller, do you know if you’re estate agent is working for you or against you? Here are some telltale signs that you need to look out for – if you see them, then you need to speak to your agent about the work they are doing.

1) Lack of contact

Any agent worth his or salt will at least start off keeping in contact with you on a regular basis. They will keep you updated on the number of enquiries your property is getting, any viewings that are arranged (assuming you are not handling that yourself), reasons why any potential buyers did not make an offer and advice on what you can do to make your property more appealing.

However, if your estate agent is not doing this or, after a certain period of time, they appear to be doing it less and less then it is time for you to ask them why not and if you are unsatisfied with the answer, possibly look at getting a new agent. Communication is key when it comes to selling a property and if they cannot keep you updated they will likely not do the same with a potential buyer.

There may be a few reasons for not keeping in touch with you, ranging from simple bad management to a loss of interest if the property is on the market for a significant period of time. Neither is acceptable so make sure you stay on top of this.

2) Constant Price Changing

You will have placed your property on the market at or just above a price you wish to achieve for a sale. Your agent should, at the time, have advised you on the market value of your property and the likelihood of achieving that price. There is no reason, therefore, for your agent to ask you to drop the price without a good reason for doing so.

It’s one thing to be advised that you may need to lower your asking price due to lack of interest or a fall in the market, but if your estate agent is asking you to drop your price and you’re still getting a lot of enquiries and viewings then they are, at best, advising you badly. It could be they are looking to clear the property from their books quickly but this is not in your best interests.

Stick to your guns on price unless you really aren’t getting any interest at all.

3) Lots of Enquiries, Zero Offers

If your agent is telling you they are getting lots of enquiries and conducting a lot of viewings but there are no offers then it could be they are not doing a very good job of selling to the individual.

This is a thorny subject to raise with your estate agent but it’s an important one that you cannot ignore. If the agent can’t close the deal, you need a new agent.

Most estate agents are very good and will work hard on your behalf but if you notice any of these signs it is probably time to change.

Author Bio: Ian Grainger is writing on behalf of Shepherd Gilmour, leading estate agents Manchester.

Category: Advice
Keywords: estate agents, estate agent, selling your property, property for sale