Viewings Advice
It is important to know the extent of service an estate agent in London will provide to you in respect of viewings to suit your requirements and convenience.

Some estate agents in London do not include accompanied viewings in their service so it’s important to establish whether an estate agent will accompany all viewings and what arrangements they make for evenings and weekends.

Apart from the obvious security issues associated with an unaccompanied viewing, it is only when agents accompany buyers around a property that they can they probe, listen and understand what the buyer is really looking for. Estate agents who have developed a good understanding of their buyers’ preferences are less likely to direct unsuitable viewers to your property.

Check Out Their Website
When you are researching London estate agents it is well worthwhile taking a good look at their websites. There are some queries to ask: How easy is the agent’s website to find in a search engine? Is it presented in a professional and contemporary manner? Is it informative? Can you search the property stock easily? Are the property particulars written up in a concise and informative fashion, in good English? An agent’s website can tell you a lot about the standard of service you can expect from them.

Estate Agents Commission Rates Explained
Most sellers are unaware of the different commission rates that London estate agents will charge to sell your property. It is a fact that not all London estate agencies charge the same rates and there’s a good reason for this so don’t make your decision on price alone.

Some London agents may quote standard rates but upon appraising the property, may determine that the property may be more difficult to sell than usual because it’s in a bad area or in a poor state of repair warranting more effort on marketing costs and effort. Conversely, some agents may quote a lower than normal rate if they think that they can move your property easily and quickly.

Some London estate agents may not have the overheads of larger firms who have made high levels of investment in high street offices, top-level staff training, sophisticated computer systems and professional marketing materials and resources.

That’s not to say that cut-price commission rates will deliver cut-down levels of customer service and professionalism because you can sometimes experience inadequacies when dealing with bigger chain firms too.

Cut price London estate agents usually require a higher turnover of stock in order to survive and they are therefore less likely to be concerned about securing the best price for their clients. The net amount of the post-sale proceeds in your pocket is surely more important than the percentage fee your London estate agent charged in commission.

Seek Out Enthusiasm
If an estate agent in London is not enthusiastic about your property, you’d be unwise to instruct them.

Conveying a positive approach to selling your home is essential if buyers are to be inspired into buying it. Your chosen estate agent must therefore be positive about the selling potential of your property at all times.

Sales Particulars and Window Displays
Many agents in London use traditional window cards as part of their window display to promote properties.

As part of the standard service a set of particulars describing your property including some photographs will also be prepared by the London estate agent.

Always ensure that the window card, sales particulars and any associated newspaper adverts are to your satisfaction. If you feel that the estate agent has not adequately described or included something which you regard as a feature or selling point then bring it to their attention and ensure that changes are made.

The Internet and Websites
The internet is a valuable tool in estate agency and a good agent will be well-versed in adopting the right technologies available to ensure that your property is marketed to the world wide web.

A good London agent will be advertising your property on top notch property portals. The potential for persons who may not necessarily be registered as an interested buyer with your agent to show interest in your property will be greatly enhanced if your chosen agent is IT-savvy.

Take a look at the estate agents' own website and ask yourself if it looks professional enough for interested parties to want to conduct a property search on the site. Satisfy yourself that the search facility works well and that the search results are adequately presented. Are the full property details presented well and are all associated images of decent viewable quality?

Most importantly, is the site speed quick enough? A slow performing, inefficient and difficult to navigate website where pages and images take a long time to download will challenge the patience of most visitors who will be quick to leave the site and never return.

Advertising Your Property
Advertising in traditional newspapers is being gradually eroded by the modern use of the Internet and by estate agencies in London having and promoting their own web sites.

If a modern day buyer is looking to buy a property in the London area, they are very likely to search for properties on the Internet