If you are wondering how to choose an estate agent, look beyond the highest suggested asking price or the lowest fee. Compare their local experience, pricing evidence, marketing quality, communication, contract terms and approach to managing the sale once an offer is accepted.
A good agent should be able to explain why they recommend a particular strategy and how they will represent your home to prospective buyers. Before signing anything, speak to more than one agency, ask direct questions and compare the service behind the promises. The right choice should leave you informed and confident about who will be handling your property.
Step 1: Look at Their Experience With Homes Like Yours
Local knowledge matters, but knowing the postcode is only part of the picture.
An agent who regularly works with properties like yours may have a clearer understanding of likely buyers, the features they value, and how to present those qualities.
A period property, architect-designed home or carefully extended family house may require a different approach from a standard apartment or recently built development.
Ask prospective agents:
- What comparable properties have you marketed recently?
- Which buyers are likely to be interested in this home?
- How would you position it against competing properties?
- Which features would you highlight?
- Are there aspects of the property that need careful explanation?
Listen to the reasoning behind the answers. A useful appraisal should show that the agent has considered your particular home rather than relying on a standard sales pitch.
For homes with distinctive architectural or period features, the agent should identify what contributes to the property’s character and explain how they would communicate those qualities to buyers.
Step 2: Ask How They Reached Their Suggested Asking Price
It can be tempting to choose whichever agent suggests the highest figure. An estate agent’s market appraisal is not the same as a formal valuation by a qualified valuer or surveyor, and the suggested price is not a guarantee of what the property will eventually sell for.
Ask the agent to show you what supports the figure.
Useful points to discuss include:
- Recent comparable sales
- Similar homes currently for sale
- Differences in size, condition and location
- Current buyer activity
- The reasoning behind the recommended launch price
For properties in England and Wales, HM Land Registry Price Paid Data can help you check registered sale prices for comparable homes. Very recent transactions may not yet appear in the data.
Rather than simply asking, “What is my home worth?”, ask why the agent believes their suggested price is appropriate for the current market.
A credible market appraisal should be supported by evidence, and an explanation of how your property compares with other homes buyers may be considering.
Step 3: Compare How Your Home Will Be Presented
Marketing should help prospective buyers understand the property before they arrange a viewing.
That means looking beyond whether the home will appear on a major property portal. Ask to see recent listings and compare the standard of presentation.
| Area to compare | What to look for |
| Photography | Images showing light, proportions and important details clearly |
| Written description | Specific wording rather than generic property clichés |
| Floor plans | Clear layouts that make spaces easy to understand |
| Main image | A strong first impression that suits the property |
| Property information | Accurate, useful details about the home |
| Overall presentation | A coherent listing rather than a templated one |
The presentation should fit the home.
At Elliot & Hill, our approach combines surveying experience with design-led property presentation. We consider elements such as proportion, materials, natural light and architectural detail when deciding how a home should be photographed and described.
This can be particularly relevant for period and character properties, where craftsmanship, layout or original features may form an important part of the home’s appeal.
When comparing agents, examine their existing listings. They can tell you more about the standard of their work than promises made during an appraisal.
Step 4: Understand What the Fee Actually Includes
Two estate agents can quote similar fees while offering quite different levels of service.
Before comparing percentages or fixed charges, establish what you are paying for.
Depending on the agency, this could include:
- professional photography
- floor plans
- accompanied viewings
- enquiry handling
- viewing feedback
- offer negotiation
- buyer qualification
- sales progression
- additional marketing
Our guide to estate agent fees explains the costs and contract considerations in more detail.
A lower fee is not automatically better value, just as a higher fee does not guarantee better service. Compare what each agency will actually do for the fee rather than looking at the percentage alone.
Step 5: Pay Attention to Communication
Property sales can involve periods of activity followed by stages where progress is less visible, making communication particularly important.
Before instructing an agent, ask:
- Who will be your main point of contact?
- How will viewing feedback be reported?
- Who will negotiate offers?
- How frequently will you receive updates?
- Who handles the transaction once an offer is accepted?
Pay attention to the way the agent communicates before you become a client. Do they answer questions properly, listen and explain their recommendations clearly?
At Elliot & Hill, our selling process includes communication through valuation, preparation, viewings, negotiation and completion. Sellers should understand where their transaction stands rather than having to chase for basic information.
Step 6: Find Out What Happens After You Accept an Offer
Finding a buyer is an important milestone, but it is not the end of the agent’s involvement.
In England and Wales, an accepted offer is not legally binding until contracts are exchanged. Conveyancing, surveys, mortgage arrangements and potentially an onward chain may still need to be worked through.
Once an offer is accepted, find out who will keep in touch with the buyer, conveyancers and others in the chain.
Ask how the agent communicates with:
- you and the buyer
- conveyancers
- mortgage brokers where relevant
- other estate agents in the chain
Our guide to how long it takes to sell a house explains the wider stages involved and why timings can vary.
Good marketing gets the sale started. The agent still needs to help keep the transaction moving after a buyer has been found.
Step 7: Read the Estate Agency Agreement Carefully
Once you appoint an estate agent, you will normally enter into a legally binding agreement.
Do not treat the contract as an administrative formality.
Government guidance on using an estate agent when selling a home advises sellers to check the charges and what is included before agreeing to use an agent.
Before signing, check:
- the fee and whether VAT is included
- what services are included
- the minimum agency period
- the notice period
- any withdrawal charges
- when the fee becomes payable
- whether the agreement gives sole agency or sole selling rights
- what happens if you later change agents
Pay particular attention to sole agency and sole selling rights.
Under a sole selling rights agreement, you may still become liable for the agent’s fee if you find the eventual buyer yourself during the agreed period.
If a clause is unclear, ask the agent to explain it before signing. For questions about the legal effect of a contract, consider taking independent legal advice.
Step 8: Ask What Really Needs Doing Before Marketing
Ask what the agent genuinely thinks needs doing before the photographer arrives.
Some preparation may be appropriate, but not every suggested repair or improvement will suit your property, budget or timescale.
Our guide to what not to fix when selling a house explains why sellers should think carefully before committing time and money to work purely for a planned sale.
Ask what the agent would change before marketing and why. The explanation should distinguish between sensible preparation and work without a clear purpose.
Step 9: Check Referrals and Professional Standards
Estate agents may recommend conveyancers, mortgage brokers, surveyors or other professionals during a sale.
You do not have to use a company simply because your estate agent recommends it.
You must be told if an estate agent receives a referral payment from a company they recommend. Government guidance for people selling a home also makes clear that you are not required to use that recommended provider.
It is also sensible to check the agent’s redress arrangements. Residential estate agents must belong to an approved redress scheme, giving consumers a route for certain unresolved complaints.
Reviews can provide useful context, but look beyond the overall star rating. Pay particular attention to repeated comments about communication, responsiveness, negotiation, handling complications and support after an offer has been accepted.
Questions to Ask Before Choosing an Estate Agent
A few focused questions can reveal a great deal.
Ask each agent:
- Why have you recommended this asking price?
- Which recent sales are most relevant to my property?
- Who do you think the likely buyers will be?
- How will you present the home?
- Who will conduct the viewings?
- How will you report feedback?
- What exactly is included in the fee?
- How long am I committed to the agreement?
- Who handles negotiations and sales progression?
- Who will I deal with day to day?
Compare the quality of the answers rather than simply whether every agent says they can provide the service.
Choose an Agent Who Understands Both the Home and the Sale
Choosing an estate agent comes down to more than a fee, market appraisal or portal listing.
You are choosing the people who will position your property in the market, speak to prospective buyers, manage viewings, negotiate on your behalf and help keep the transaction moving.
Look for evidence behind the suggested price, care in the marketing, clarity in the contract and communication that gives you confidence from the outset.
If you are considering selling in Cardiff or the Vale, explore our approach to selling your home to see how we handle valuation, presentation, marketing and the wider sales process.
You should finish an appraisal knowing how the agent would price, present and manage your sale, and why.
