Choosing the right estate agent is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when selling your home. Get it right and you’ll have someone who prices your property accurately, markets it well, and sees the sale through to completion. Get it wrong and you could be stuck in a contract with an agent who under-delivers and over-promises. Here’s what to look for.
Quick Answer
Look for local knowledge, honest pricing, clear communication, and a track record of completions, not just listings. Don’t automatically go with the agent who gives you the highest valuation or the lowest fee.
Start With Local Knowledge
An agent who knows your area will price your home more accurately, attract more relevant buyers, and handle viewings with genuine insight. They’ll know which streets are most in demand, what buyers in your area are looking for, and how the local market is behaving right now.
In Stockport, the market varies significantly from one area to the next. An agent who sells regularly in Heaton Moor will have a very different buyer pool to one focused on Bramhall or Marple. Local experience matters.
Ask any agent you’re considering: how many properties have you sold in this area in the last six months? The answer will tell you a lot.
Check Their Reviews
Online reviews give you an honest picture of what it’s actually like to work with an agent. Look at Google reviews rather than testimonials on their own website. Read the detail, not just the star rating.
Look for patterns. Do multiple reviewers mention good communication? Or do several flag that the agent was hard to reach after the sale was agreed? One bad review is rarely the full story. A pattern of similar complaints usually is.
Don’t overlook reviews from buyers as well as sellers. An agent who treats buyers well is more likely to keep sales together when things get complicated.
Valuation: Be Wary of Flattery
Most sellers invite two or three agents to value their home. It’s tempting to go with whoever gives you the highest figure. That’s understandable, but it’s often a mistake.
Some agents deliberately overvalue properties to win the instruction, knowing they’ll push for a price reduction a few weeks later. This is known as overvaluing to win, and it costs sellers time and money. A property that starts too high sits on the market, attracts less interest, and often sells for less than it would have done with a realistic price from the start.
Ask each agent to show you the comparable sold prices they’ve used to reach their valuation. A good agent will walk you through their reasoning. One who can’t justify the number is one to be cautious about.
For more on this, see How Many Valuations Should I Get?
Ask About Their Marketing
Where will your property be listed? Rightmove and Zoopla are non-negotiable. But how much effort goes into the listing itself?
Photography matters enormously. Ask whether the agent uses a professional photographer or takes their own pictures on a phone. Look at their existing listings online. If the photos are dark, cluttered, or poorly composed, that tells you something.
Ask about floor plans, virtual tours, and social media promotion. These aren’t luxuries, they’re increasingly expected. A well-presented listing generates more enquiries and more viewings.
Communication Is Everything
A sale agreed is only the beginning. The weeks between offer and completion are where many sales fall apart, and a proactive agent can be the difference between a deal that holds together and one that doesn’t.
Ask how they’ll keep you updated. Will you get regular calls, or will you have to chase them? Who specifically will be managing your sale? In some larger agencies, the person who did the valuation hands the file to a junior member of staff once the sale is agreed. Know what you’re signing up for.
Understand the Contract Before You Sign
Before you instruct an agent, read the contract carefully. Key things to check include the tie-in period, the notice period required to leave, and whether the agreement is sole agency or multi-agency.
Most standard agreements are sole agency, meaning only one agent is marketing your property. Fees are typically lower on sole agency. Multi-agency arrangements allow multiple agents to list your home simultaneously, but fees are higher and the arrangement can sometimes work against you.
For a full explanation of contract terms, see Estate Agent Contracts Explained.
Red Flags to Watch For
A few things worth being wary of:
The highest valuation. If one agent’s figure is significantly higher than the others with no clear justification, treat it with scepticism.
Pressure to sign on the day. A good agent won’t push you to sign a contract at the end of the valuation appointment. Take your time.
Vague answers about fees. Fees should be clearly explained upfront, in writing, with no ambiguity about what’s included.
Poor communication during the valuation. If an agent is distracted, dismissive, or fails to listen during the valuation appointment, that’s a preview of what working with them will be like.
FAQs
Should I choose the cheapest estate agent?
Not necessarily. The cheapest agent isn’t always the best value. A lower fee means nothing if the agent achieves a lower sale price or lets the deal fall through. Focus on track record, local knowledge, and communication rather than fee alone.
How many valuations should I get?
Two or three is usually enough to get a realistic picture of your home’s value and compare agents. Getting more than three is rarely necessary and can start to feel like tyre-kicking to agents who take their time seriously. See How Many Valuations Should I Get? for more detail.
What is a typical estate agent fee?
Most high street agents charge between one and three percent of the sale price, plus VAT. The exact figure depends on the agent, the area, and whether you negotiate. For a full breakdown, see How Much Do Estate Agents Charge?
Can I change estate agents if I’m unhappy?
Yes, but you’ll need to check your contract first. Most agreements include a tie-in period during which you cannot instruct another agent without penalty. Once that period has passed, you can usually give notice and switch.
Is it worth using an online estate agent?
Online agents typically charge lower fixed fees but offer less hands-on support, particularly during the sales progression stage. For some sellers it works well. For others, particularly those in chains or selling more complex properties, the lack of a dedicated local agent becomes a problem.
Compare Local Estate Agents in Stockport
The best way to find the right agent is to meet a few and ask the right questions. Compare local estate agents in Stockport to see who operates in your area, read reviews, and request a valuation from agents with a proven local track record.