Busy? An estate agent can help you!

Property transactions are one of those things in life that you don't decide on every day. Everyone will advise you to take your time, evaluate your options and try to get the most out of it. But, what if you're too busy to take proper care of it?

Relax! There are some qualified professionals who can assist you (for a fee, of course) whether you want to buy a house or sell one. These people - estate agents - provide several benefits for people on a tight schedule.

Let's see what an estate agent can do for you:

If you're selling

Estate agents can handle the whole process themselves but if you want to get more involved in it you have to let them know. After hiring their services, an agent should:

1. Suggest an asking price, which you should take as a rough guideline. You should always go for a complete survey to realise the value of your property. Afterwards, consider how fast you want to sell your property and how strong the market is at that given time.
2. Present and advertise your property, starting by taking pictures of it and providing a list of details. After, the agent chooses the most suitable method for reaching your house's audience (the agent's window, newspapers, brochures, the web, etc.)
3. Arrange viewings, although you should ask whether you'll be charged extra for this. You can do this yourself if you feel confident enough.
4. Negotiate potential offers, which you can do yourself as well, given that you are an experienced negotiator. Just remember to let the agent know what you will be handling yourself so you don't interfere each other.

Estate agents traditionally charge between 1 and 3.5 per cent of the final sale price of your property, although this is highly negotiable. You should, however, be careful not to fall for the lowest fee but to check the one that's most suitable for you.

If you're buying

Contact estate agents and let them know about your requirements as a buyer. They'll match this to any current offerings they might have and let you know about it. Depending on their service, they may also advertise your requirements for any potential seller to fulfil.

Useful links
The National Association of Estate Agents

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