Choosing the right estate agent for you

18th January 2017

As a seller, you’re about to make one of the biggest financial decisions of your life - and you’ll need someone you can trust to guide you through the process.

Deciding on the right estate agent to work with can mean the difference between getting an excellent price, and not selling your house at all. Not to mention the fact that having an expert partner on your side will make the whole selling process easier.

Not all estate agents are the same, and with so many options out there, choosing the right one can seem like a daunting decision. Our guide to picking the right estate agent will help you find one suited to you and your property, and get you on the road to a successful sale.

Traditional or online

The first decision to make is what type of estate agent you’d like to use – high street or online-only. 

Although online-only estate agents can seem appealing due to their low cost fees, it’s important to remember that cheaper rarely means better. These agencies cut out the middle-man and charge a listing fee, rather than basing their fee on overall success. 

This gives the illusion they are saving you money, but leaves you to handle legal and financial obstacles without the help of an expert.

Over-valuing is one of the main concerns for sellers, yet as online-only agents tend to charge standard listing fees, it doesn’t actually matter to them what price the property goes on the market for. There is no link between the initial valuation and the successful overall transaction, so these agents have little incentive to work closely with you to achieve the best possible price.

You’ll also miss out on advice tailored to a traditional estate agents’ experience of the local area, as generally online-only agents work over larger geographical areas. 

Most traditional agents also have a strong online presence, with many listing properties on key sites such as Rightmove and onthemarket.com, as well as marketing your property via their own websites. By opting for a traditional estate agent with a strong online presence, you will be working with a team solely devoted to helping you selling your property across all platforms. 

Traditional estate agents can help you every step of the way, drawing on their years of experience and professional knowledge to help in everything from valuing your property to negotiating and choosing the right offer.

What are they like, and what do they offer? 

Research is key when it comes to choosing an estate agent, as with any close partner.  Get to know what your potential estate agents are like, and do a bit of digging to find out as much about them, their services and their track record as possible.  

Start off by looking at websites. Here you should be able to find information about the company, staff, and range of services, as well as testimonials from previous customers. 

Another way to get an idea of the quality of an estate agent is by looking at the properties they are currently selling - Are they similar to yours? Are they presented with good quality pictures and floor plans? Is the description informative and well written? You should also be checking to see if the agent advertises some properties on at least one major property portal, such as Rightmove

One of the most reliable insights into the quality of an estate agent are their reviews on Google. Here you can hear from local people who have been in the exact same position as you, and get an idea of how their sale went and how they were treated.

Researching an estate agent's qualifications is another good indication of their professionalism. Ask them what their staff’s qualifications are, and what trading groups they are a part of. 

We are one of just three estate agents in Brighton & Hove who are approved by Trading Standards as part of their ‘Buy With Confidence’ scheme, and one of the first in the city to become licensed members of the National Association of Estate Agents. 

What did you make of their valuation? 

Before an estate agent arrives to value your property, you may want to do a bit of your own research into how much it could be worth.  To get a vague idea of the value, you may want to find out what estate agents look for when valuing your home, and how much other local properties have sold for.

Valuation is an ideal way to test more than one estate agent out. This way, you will not only be able to compare prices, but also see how each agent interacts with you and your home. When the agent arrives, be sure to note their punctuality, politeness, professionalism and knowledge. 

If all the agents that value your property offer similar estimates,  this indicates the figure you are being given is fairly accurate. Although, if one comes up with a different figure, it could be because they know something others don’t. 

One thing to bear in mind is that a higher figure than expected isn’t always a good thing. Some agents strategically over-value in order to make clients choose them, and will try and talk them down once the fees have been paid. 

Our valuation team are experts in the nuances of the Brighton and Hove property market, allowing them to set the best, achievable values for your home. This is demonstrated by our fantastic results year on year. In 2016, we achieved 99.3% of our asking price on all properties sold.

No matter what, always ask each agent for the reasoning behind their perceived value of your property. Not only will you be able to gain a better understanding of how accurate their valuation is, but also how much they know about the current market and the position of your property within it. 

How does the agent fit in with the local community? 

In order to get the best price for your property, your estate agent should have an in-depth knowledge of the local property market.

It’s beneficial to work with local experts who live in the area and have spent a lot of time there, and will therefore know all the local perks, trades, problems that may be encountered and - importantly - how to remedy them. 

It’s also important to consider what the office’s traffic might be like. Are potential buyers likely to walk past the window, and is the exterior welcoming enough for them to want to pop in and speak to the agents?

With over 18 years of service as an independent Estate Agent under our belts,  our management team of 7 have a combined 78 years of service with Maslen, and can truly call themselves Brighton and Hove experts.

We have offices across Brighton and Hove, ensuring that our properties are visible across the city, and that our unparalleled knowledge about different localities will make your sale a success. 

If you’re on the hunt for an exceptional estate agent and would like to find out more about us and our services, please get in touch today. 


Get in Touch

Testimonials

  • Best Agents in Brighton.

    Mrs Field Tarner Road

  • Very, very happy we chose you, felt right from the start! Thank you!

    Miss Blackadder Coniston Court, Holland Road

  • Paul was absolutely brilliant. 

    Mrs Tasker Fiveways

  • Outstanding service from Sharon. James is an asset to Maslens & Harvey was so helpful and polite.

    Ms Cianchetta Selhurst Road

  • Service exceeded my expectations overall at all stages of the process - I wouldn't hesitate to recommend you. Thanks. 

    Ms Greene Lewes Road

  • I was new to the area and viewed a lot of properties with a lot of different agents. Maslens were by far the best I came in contact with, so when i...

    Mr & Mrs Heer Lewes Road

  • The whole team were excellent, each one of them felt like family. Sharon had a lot of sorting to do at times but coped very well, a true profession...

    Mr Vernon Woodingdean

  • It was an amazing experience, everyone involved were fantastic. 

    Mr & Mrs Knight Woodingdean

  • As always, an excellent service. 

    Mr & Mrs Field Lewes Road

  • You were amazingly helpful throughout - a real pillar of strength with a very difficult sale.

    Mrs Parkin Fiveways

  • The team worked very hard over a long period to ensure my sale went through - excellent service!

    Mr Patrick Gladstone Terrace

  • I found the service to be courteous, friendly and efficient.

    Mr Upton Buller Road

  • Many thanks to Nick. It was an easy process thanks to you! I'm extremely satisfied with how the sale went, great job.

    Ms Mayanobe Aymer Road

  • Paula was fabulous and we felt really informed and supported. 

    Mr & Mrs Walker Lewes Road

  • A very committed team who made the sale process very easy.

    Ms Rees Ticehurst Road

  • Harvey was helpful and easily reachable at the beginning of the process and Sharon kept us informed and was always happy to help.

    Ms Murch & Ms Mapa Ticehurst Road

  • Sharon was excellent - kept us well informed, thank you so much!

    Ms Waters Cowley Drive

  • Maslens as a whole were really friendly and professional. I have to thank and congratulate Paula Carter for being superb at her job and exceeding m...

    Ms Warren Hove

  • A very positive experience - I had most contact with the Fiveways office and they were so friendly and helpful.

    Ms A King Balfour Road

  • All very professional, kept updated throughout. Very pleased - Would recommend. 

    Mrs Hammond Hove

  • Thank you Paul and Archie, you gave an excellent service, as well as Kelly. I look forward to working with you again. 

    Mr White Fiveways

  • We were delighted with the service received from all the staff with whom we had contact,

    Dr Crichton The Ridgway

  • A completely painless experience from start to finish. Thank you.

    Mr Woolven & Mrs Bessant-Woolven Lewes Road

  • I wish we had used you to sell our property! Nice to meet honest people, who are genuinely interested in helping. Very pleased.

    Mrs Porter Taunton Road

  • Brilliant. Well done to Sharon and the Woodingdean team.

    Ms Curtis The Ridgway

  • All the staff I dealt with were excellent. Sharon worked really hard to complete the sale.

    Mrs Bent Falmer Gardens

  • Thanks for an excellent service. 

    Mr King Hove

  • Graham Griffin provided us, and continues to provide us, will all-round excellent advice. We trust his knowledge and expertise.

    Mr Blackmore & Ms O'Sullivan Financial Services

  • Very comprehensive and professional. Nice people to work with and highly recommended. 

    Mr Alderton Ladysmith Road

  • An efficient, professional and friendly service. Helpful and a pleasure to do business with.

    Mr Beddington Brading Road

  • A good team at Woodingdean helped us through a stressful time.

    Mr & Mrs Penton Sycamore Close

  • Very thorough & very informative.

    Mr Michnowicz Waldegrave Road

  • All agents at Maslen were extremely helpful and polite from the beginning to the completion of sale. 

    Mr Johnson Fiveways

  • Very impressed with the service. Sharon Wareham works tirelessly, very professionally and is always there for advice. 

    Miss Matthews Kipling Avenue

  • Sharon and her team could not have done more in what was a difficult sale. 

    Ms Daly Woodingdean

  • I have bought and sold 7 properties, and this was the best experience of an estate agents services I have found.

    Mrs Shepherd Hertford Road

  • Excellent customer service throughout. I will definitely recommend you, and use you again. Thank you.

    Ms Longley Kingsbury Street

  • Excellent service as always

    Mr Field Ringmer Road

  • Hugely impressed with Ben & his team.

    Mrs Mead Upper Lewes Road

  • Excellent Service from start to finish.

    Mr T Mole Cromwell Road

  • Sharon was excellent, she kept us informed at all stages and was a really calming objective influence in the process.

    Ms Frederick Channel View Road

  • Cannot express our appreciation enough of all the efforts made by the Woodingdean team - they were fantastic.

    Mr John Mogridge Woodingdean

  • Very happy with the service we got from you guys, everyone we dealt with was extremely friendly, professional and helpful. Thanks!

    Mr Brown Titian Road

  • Very impressive - professional and friendly, both Martin Timms and Paula Carter were excellent at keeping in contact with sensible advice based on...

    Mrs O'Connor Hove

  • The whole team were very committed from start to finish.

    Mr Pilgrim Lewes Road

  • Compared to your rivals, your service was excellent

    Ms McGrigor Milner Road

  • Good team. Straightforward. No nonsense.

    Mr Standing Newmarket Road

  • Quality advice about when and how to sell, which was spot on. Thank you.

    Miss Coleman Buller Road

  • First class service from a first class team.

    Mr & Mrs English The Ridgway

  • Very pleased with the experience. I would definitely recommend you and use you again.

    Ms D Edmonds Horton Road

  • The sale was dealt with swiftly, professionally and successfully. Thank you Maslen!

    Mrs Lincoln Hove

  • Paula was absolutely amazing!

    Mr & Mrs MacKay Lewes Road

  • Paul Wilkinson was extremely helpful and efficient. The only problem was the vendors solicitor and Paul warned me of this. A good transaction all r...

    Mr Lavender Fiveways

  • Sold within 2 weeks for asking price "excellent!"

    Mr Grundy Bishops Road

  • Best Estate Agents ever experienced - professional, approachable, competent and exemplary. 

    Mr & Mrs Guest Riley Road

  • Please thank Paula at Lewes Road - Excellent service. 

    Mr & Mrs Nuthall Lewes Road

  • Thank you Maslens, you were all excellent!

    Miss Jasper Taunton Road

  • Ben and Paula were calm and reassuring throughout a very difficult process!

    Ms Easterbrook Bear Road

  • Fantastic service. By far the best agents we have ever used, I cannot recommend you highly enough.

    Mr Field Mafeking Road

  • Extremely efficient. Nick and Paula are excellent. The weekly phone calls were much appreciated. 

    Ms Gray Lewes Road

  • Very professional service. Thank you!

    Miss New & Mr Jackson Buller Road

  • We cannot recommend Maslen's estate agents enough.

    Many thanks to Paul, Donna, Janette and the...

    Linda & Les Wigmore Close

  • In February 2016 I was looking to buy and sell very rapidly. Competition among buyers at the time was very high. Sharon @ the Woodingdean branch sh...

    Ms Helen Lyons Woodingdean

  • I would recommend Maslen to anyone. 

    Mrs Tripp Woodingdean

  • It was a long, drawn out process that the people at Maslen helped me through, without the impression that it was a chore. So extremely professional...

    Mr McLagan Lewes Road

  • Ben was particularly enthusiastic and helpful. Martin, Paula, Sam and Will are all hard workers.

    Ms Goodey Franklin Road

  • Very pleased with the excellent service throughout. Professional, friendly, efficient and no hard sell. Achieved above asking price. Thank you!

    Mr Witten Lewes Road

  • Great service, always polite and friendly. Excellent contact and info all the way.

    Mr Wells Bishops Road

  • Excellent service from the Lewes Road branch. Martin Timms secured a quick sale & at a good price & Paula Carter worked really hard to secure...

    Ms Schulte Bear Road

  • From start to finish the sale was dealt with in a thoroughly professional manner.  

    Mr Gibbs Lewes Road

  • Very impressed with the efficient and friendly service, the staff were a pleasure to deal with. 

    Mr & Mrs Gill Lewes Road

  • Thank you for everything!

    Ms Tucker Willow Close

  • The Woodingdean team were very friendly and approachable.

    Mrs Palmer Pitt Gardens

  • First class service. Friendly and professional.

    Mr Thorne The Avenue

  • A really good experience.

    Mr Tibble Lewes Road

  • Paula is amazing!

    Ms Aspnall Gladstone Place

  • Our local office manager, Sharon Wareham was warm and friendly and kept us up to date at all times.

    Mr Hope The Brow

  • Thanks David, all very professional.

    Mrs Flowers Foxdown Road

  • We were very impressed with the Nick from start to finish. 

    Mr & Mrs Smith Lewes Road

  • Nick and Paula are total stars! They were incredibly supportive and present throughout. Thank you!

    Miss O'Haire Hove

  • Very impressed with all dealings with Maslen. Paula Carter was in particular very knowledgeable and helpful. 

    Mr McBlane Hove

  • Sharon, Harvey and James were all excellent - very professional. Totally opposite to what I have experienced with other agents. Maslen have restore...

    Ms Lyons Woodingdean

  • Very helpful and patient team.

    Mrs Shea Selborne Place

  • Very good service and communication. Paula was excellent.

    Mr & Mrs Scarboro 1 Pevensey Road

  • Superb service as usual, I would always recommend you.

    Ms S Hike Blackthorn Close

  • We were very pleased with services provided by the Fiveways office.

    Mr & Mrs Sawyer Shaftesbury Road

  • Exceptional service throughout the process - should we decide to sell in the future we wouldn't hesitate to use your agency. You're a cut above the...

    Ms Windels & Mr Barham Fiveways

  • Already recommended you! Thank you.

    Mr Edwards The Ridgway

  • Very pleased with the service. Many thanks to Sharon and the boys!

    Mr Flynn Woodingdean

  • Paula's role was brilliant. Having someone office based and available was so appreciated and her promptness an impressive service - every Estate Agent...

    Ms Wynn-Jones Baxter Street

  • The staff were very helpful, an excellent service. I would recommend you to others.

    Miss Hockly Fiveways

  • Sharon was amazing! She kept us up to date the whole way through the process. We cannot fault Sharon or the rest of her team. 

    Mr & Mrs Ashley Woodingdean

  • Excellent communication and advice throughout. It felt very reassuring to be in good hands.

    Mrs Brooker Buller Road

  • Thank you. We found all the staff knowledgeable and really pleasant to deal with. 

    Ms Ansloos Lewes Road

See All »