Finding yourself an honest and acclaimed estate agent shouldn’t be a difficult task providing you know where to look and research into your potential agents properly.

Nowadays, the majority of reputable agents are members of the Ombudsman for Estate Agents scheme and agents who fail to join are breaking the law and could be fined or banned from operating. The reason this scheme came into place was because of all of the sneaky manoeuvres estate agents were performing to make more money. Some of these include:

Overvaluing properties to secure business from those wanting to sell their properties

Valuing a property at a lower price so the agent can then sell it to a friend or colleague for a bargain price

Using scare tactics – for example, pretending someone has made an offer to force other potential buyers into making an offer too

Gazumping: when a deal has been agreed but the agents will let other potential buyers view the property in the hope a higher bidder

Neglecting to pass on offers to managers in the hope another buyer will come along with a higher bid

Showing potential customers For Sale or Sold signs at houses the agent actually had nothing to do with

Supplying their customers with fake documents to help them secure a mortgage

These are just some of the tricks estate agents used to try to either trick their customers into making themselves more money. But luckily the Ombudsman scheme is in place to help give estate agents a better name. It’s important to remember the bad estate agents are giving the reputable and talented ones a bad name. A good estate agent can make your life a lot easier when selling your property, or if you’re planning on buying a property – they have the knowledge of the property market, which most people don’t have – and can guide you to make the right choices when buying or selling a property.

Make sure you properly research estate agents before you make a decision, the best way is to use a search engine to find local agents in your area, for example, “Manchester estate agents” – from here, you can read testimonials and past experience. You should also research by word of mouth – think about properties that have sold quickly in your area and find out which estate agents they used. It’s best to find an agent who has sold properties similar to yours as it shows they will have the right skills and techniques to sell your own property.

Be sure to get valuations from a few estate agents so you can decipher the best valuation for your house, you could also try an online home valuation just to compare. Before signing a contract with the estate agent, make sure you read it through thoroughly and ask of any points that seem vague or you are unsure of. Ensure you know the length of the time you will be contracting your estate agent – you want ample time to sell your property but you don’t want to allow them too much time (as they shouldn’t need it!).

Clair O\’Hara is writing on behalf of Shepherd Gilmour, specialists in Manchester estate agents.

Clair O\’Hara is writing on behalf of Shepherd Gilmour (http://www.shepherdgilmour.com), specialists in Manchester estate agents.

Author Bio: Clair O\’Hara is writing on behalf of Shepherd Gilmour, specialists in Manchester estate agents.

Category: Advice
Keywords: Manchester estate agents, estate agents Manchester, letting agents Manchester city centre