Estate agents - all the same?

[ChasW]

Last house we sold we had the usual 3 valuations/quotes. One agent was much keener than the other two so I negotiated an exclusive for two weeks. It was sold within a week at full asking. Turned out he was also selling for someone wanting to buy on our street. That was 17 years ago. Today it might be a bit easier to do it ourselves though I reckon he probably negotiated better I would have done. He knew how desperate these people were for our house as they had confided in him. I doubt if I would have picked this up.

[The Don of Croy]

I think there is a future for agents - just look at the dross on ebay and the standard of presentation, and then consider if they were selling something really big and expensive...

It's horses for courses - we've sold privately before and through agents, and bought direct. No real formula to it but that was before the internet entered everyone's smart phone.

IMHO agents have received a good kicking because they partly deserved it, and because it's easy (just like hating 'bankers')...but it doesn't mean they're all pondscum. Maybe just 98%. But it's the 2% you want and will thank.

From our experience it's the chain that needs managing, and when agents' know each other they can smooth the highs and lows and get it to work...but there's no guarantees. A good solicitor is also a prerequisite.