Which estate agent

[car]

Trying to sell a property. rang several local estate agents. fees range from .75% to 1.25% but average at about 1%. Advertising fees run at about the +- the 350e mark.
I would be aware of all the agents from seeing "for sale" signs around the locale and would generally be aware of the bigger agents like DNG, porperty partners, Tom Maher, Lowe etc.

But why would I go with one agent over the other? ie, What makes a good agent.

 

[boe]

What is the standard estate agent fee these days. I know they may vary and seem to be a bit cheaper in Dublin but I am considering seeling at the moment and the first agent I got to come and do a valuation has a €250 fee for advertising, signage etc and then a fee of 1.5% if they sell the property. Does this seem a bit high? I'm assuming that is inclusive of VAT but must confirm

 

[moneygrower]

ring the agents you are considering pretending to be a buyer, ask them some questions about the property, area, etc. That should give you an idea of their efficiency, manner etc. and how likely they are to hook you a buyer.

 

[car]

On the average % charged, 250e + VAT sounds low for advertising but 1.5% seems high compared to all the agents I rang, do the maths and you can guess why the 250e is low.

The highest of 6 agents I had rang was 1.25% lowest was .75% but I was led to belive that the % was negotiable. I decided to talk further with 2 agents who were recommended to me who had fees of 1%. Despite repeated calls I got delayed call backs by one and 1 agent didnt call back at all after 3 requests for someone to call me.

I settled on an agent at .75% who answered straight away when I called, impressed me with his manner and had the house up with all major house sites within 2 days. Ad fee was 350e+ vat.

 

[streamer]

A good tip to assess an estate agent is to see if you can find a house they've got for sale at present that's similar to yours, then call them to enquire about the house and see how skilled they are at selling it to you.

Things to look out for; do they make an effort to scope out if you're a serious buyer ; are they flexible in terms of the times they're willing to show you the property etc.

Also, when you bring the estate agent to value your house, ask them if they have any advice on how to improve its saleability. Based on my experience the good estate agents will give constructive and specific advice on what might make a difference. Put another way, if they quote the usual cliches "declutter; keep it nice and tidy" ; it could mean they've been on auto pilot during the viewing; rather than trying to spot the unique selling points (or weaknesses!) of your house.

In summary, there's very little to be gained by hiring an estate agent who's cheaper but who's going to have your property on their books for the next however many months. Go for the agent who based on your assessment is more likely to sell your house quickly and if that's the person who's charging .75% great, but if its the one with the higher fee it could pay for itself.

Best of luck with it.