What to check before you sign with an estate agent in Poole: fees, contracts, reviews, marketing and local knowledge.
Choosing an estate agent is the biggest decision you’ll make when selling your home. It affects the price you get, how quickly you sell and how smoothly things go through to completion. Here’s what to look for in Poole this year.
1. Look at local results, not just valuations
Every agent can quote a high figure. What matters is what they actually achieve. Ask how many homes like yours they’ve sold nearby in the last year, how long they took, and how close they got to the asking price. Look at their sold boards and recently sold listings in your road or neighbourhood.
2. Check reviews in more than one place
Look at Google, Trustpilot, allAgents and GetAgent together. A strong agent has plenty of recent reviews from both sellers and buyers, not a handful from years ago.
3. Understand the fee and the contract
Ask for the fee as a percentage and a pound figure, including VAT. Check the tie-in period, the notice period, and whether you’d owe a fee if you switched agents. Look for “sole agency” versus “sole selling rights” in the contract, because they mean very different things.
4. Ask exactly how your home will be marketed
Rightmove is essential, but presentation is what gets the viewings. Ask whether professional photography, a floor plan, video and drone footage are included, or charged as extras.
5. Make sure they know your part of Poole
Oakdale, Parkstone, Canford Heath and Broadstone each attract different buyers. A local agent will know who’s buying in your area, what they’ll pay and which features matter to them.
6. Ask who will actually look after you
Will you deal with the person who valued your home, or a call centre? Who chases solicitors after the sale is agreed? Most sales that fall through do so between offer and exchange.
7. Check they’re properly regulated
Your agent should belong to a redress scheme such as The Property Ombudsman, and client money should be protected. It’s a legal requirement, and a quick check gives you peace of mind.
Why Athertons?
We’re an independent, director-led agency with offices in Oakdale and Winton. We’re rated ‘Exceptional’ by the Best Estate Agent Guide, which puts us in the top 1% of estate agents in England, and we’re a Gold winner at the British Property Awards. Every home we sell gets professional photography, drone footage and a full video tour as standard. Visit our Poole office page or call us on 01202 681113 to book a free valuation.