These days, there’s so much information on buying and selling luxury properties online that you’d be forgiven for thinking the role of the estate agent was superfluous. Of course reality tells us a rather different story as when it comes to making the right moves on both ends of the deal, an agent’s input is still more valuable and important than ever before. From tips on how to find a luxury home in London to buying for the right price and of course getting properties sold to the right buyers, it’s a role that takes a lifetime of dedication and experience to perform with any kind of adequacy.
Which of course leads on to the obvious question – how can anyone ensure they make the best decision when it comes to choosing their own estate agent?
Well, there may be a great many complexities to take into account when it comes to buying and selling luxury homes, but when it comes to choosing an agent, there are really only six key rules to follow.
And here they are:
1 – Seek Recommendations
First of all, if you can tap into the knowledge and experiences of any of your friends, family, workmates or acquaintances of any kind, do it! All the web research and vetting in the world is all well and good, but at the same time you will never, ever get more reliable and helpful information than the tips and insights shared by those your trust. So while it seems like a no-brainer, it’s one that’s worth bearing in mind as it is often overlooked. Ask around and see who knows who – it could be your ticket to a safe and easy choice.
2 – See Who’s Selling
Selling luxury homes is a unique challenge to say the least and a task that not all agents will ever find any real success in. As such, one of the best ways of narrowing things down is to carry out a little research and see which agents are most active in the area of your choosing. Or in other words, which are securing the sales of the most properties and which don’t seem to have any luck in closing deals. Suffice to say, the reason why the former is the agent you should be siding with is self-explanatory.
3 – Read Reviews
While it’s fair to say that reviews from past and present clients won’t tell you the full story, they’ll certainly help you gain a better understanding of the agent in question. It’s of course important to remember that not everyone leaves reviews…most in fact don’t…so rather than using this kind of information to breed a full conclusion, it should be treated as accessory information – a garnish, if you like. That being said, if a whole bunch of terrible reviews set alarm bells ringing, do the common sense thing and avoid them at all costs.
4 – Conduct Interviews
Never forget that as it’s you that is the client, it should be the agents that are fighting tooth and nail to win your business – not the other way round. As such, when it comes to luxurious properties and those of a higher value, it’s a good idea to conduct interviews with each of the agents you’re interested in as a means of finding out if you’re on the same page. It will be pretty clear after a quick chat if this is the case, or if you should be looking elsewhere.
5 – Ask the Right Questions
There is of course no such thing as a ‘stupid’ question and nor is there such a thing as asking too many questions. You’re the client and you’re not expected to have a clue how these things work, so it’s up to you to ask as many questions as necessary. If you’re selling, how will they market your home? If you’re buying, where and how will they conduct their search on your behalf? What about fees and commissions? Ask the right questions and you eliminate the potential for scary surprises further down the line.
6 – Choose a Genuine Specialist
Last but not least, never forget that luxury properties in all their various forms are in many ways completely different to standard properties. As such, in order to be represented appropriately you need to side with an agent who is a dedicated professional in this specific field – not an everyday estate agent who occasionally dabbles in the luxury end of things. If they can’t say they’re a committed and dedicated luxury property professional, they’re an agent you really don’t want to work with in this instance.
