UNDERSTANDING ESTATE AGENTS

Understanding the Estate Agent

Estate Agents generally have a bad reputation. But consider how many other professions would share their fate if they were constantly in the middle of the nightmare that home buying often is.

The fact is Agents can either be pleasant and easy going or people you'd rather not sit beside on a long journey - in other words a fairly normal cross section of humanity.

People say that anyone can be an Estate Agent; that they're unqualified and their job's a doddle. Well up to a point perhaps. But "never underestimate your enemy". The good ones are very very good. The bad ones probably won't survive the first recession.

When times are good ie the market is "hot", and there are more buyers than sellers, Estate Agents may treat you badly i.e. not return your calls or send you the promised information. However, when the market slows, the 'good ones' will be a model of cooperation.

Estate Agents have seen many buyers and sellers come and go, while we, the punters, usually have very limited experience of them. So don't try any tricks - emotional or otherwise - on them. They've seen it all before.

Like any humans, treat them positively, with respect and they're likely to respond more favourably to you than to someone who talks down their nose at them.

Don't alienate the Estate Agent. They have some sway over their client and you don't want to be bad mouthed unnecessarily.