What is the ONLY Question to Ask your Estate Agent?

When it comes to selling your home, what is the ONLY question you EVER need ask your estate agent? Most homeowners completely overlook this area, even though it is the most important! Property buying agent and consultant Alex Goldstein talks you through what to really ask.

What is the ONLY Question to Ask your Estate Agent?

What is the only question you need to ask the manager of your estate agency office when they’re looking to sell your property? That is, what is their experience in estate agency? Now, let me explain.

For example, I had a case a couple of years back, and completely out of area. A homeowner rang me, and they were struggling to sell their property. The area was great, great property, right price. I just personally couldn’t understand why it hadn’t sold, and something wasn’t right.

Cue a meeting with the estate agent, who also was the manager of that office. Excellent salesperson, full of enthusiasm, couldn’t fault him. However, once I’d actually cut through all of that and asked his experience in the sector, his response was that he used to work for Cirque du Soleil, the circus people, in their Marketing team. He was literally a clown.

He fancied having a go at estate agency and bought himself a franchise, and whilst he could buy a franchise opportunity and he really was an excellent salesperson, he could not buy hands-on experience, and this is why a sale in this instance had faltered. And as the manager, leading his team, if there was an issue, or to have the foresight to see a problem potentially cropping up on the horizon, he was instantly out of his depth, and therefore, so was the rest of his team.

Whilst those new to estate agency is a great thing, they need to be backed up by a leader with experience. And some of the most powerful agents have a young negotiator who’s enthusiastic, full of energy, who is then backed up and tempered by the manager, and these guys have the years of experience and know-how. Together, their combined skills can be a very formidable force when selling your home. However, no experience at the top can only lead to issues down the line. Remember, time and experience in any job can only be earned and never bought.