What do estate agents do?

So, you’re planning to put your home on the market. This is where an estate agent could be worth their weight in gold. They guide sellers through the entire sales process, from providing a property valuation, right through to handing the keys over to the buyer.

Want to know more? Here’s how an estate agent can hold your hand through each stage.

To start off with, an estate agent will give you a valuation for your property. You can get an online estimate over at My Home, which is based on powerful market data. But a reputable estate agent will have plenty of market evidence and experience of what similar properties have sold for in your local area.

See what local experts think your home is worth

If you're getting ready to sell or just super curious, we recommend getting a free, in-person valuation from a local estate agent.

Get a free agent valuation

They’ll visit your home, taking in all of the work you've done to it, and give you a bespoke property valuation.

They’ll suggest who to pitch your home to and what features to make the most of. For example, if you’re selling a house that’s located near schools, you’ll want to make sure it’s attractive to buyers who have young families.

And an estate agent will have expert advice on what you could do to boost your home’s appeal and, potentially, your sale price.

They'll also give you their take on how the housing market is performing in your area and what that could mean for your sale.

Once you’ve got an estate agent onboard, they’ll prepare your home for sale. They’ll get it professionally photographed, have a floorplan drawn up, and draft a description of your home to catch buyers’ attention. They'll show your property in its best light.

An estate agent will also guide you through the paperwork required to sell your home - there’s a fair amount to get ready. For example, you’ll need an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) to show buyers how energy efficient your home is.

Once the behind-the-scenes work is done, an estate agent will market your home for sale.

If you want to give your home maximum exposure, an estate agent will promote it in their shop window (if they have one), on their website, on their social media accounts, and on the major property portals, such as Zoopla. They may also put up a ‘For sale’ sign outside your property.

With any luck, you’ll get good interest from buyers. An estate agent will then coordinate property viewings. They’ll receive enquiries from buyers, fix dates and times to show them around your home, and answer any questions they might have.

Another option an estate agent may suggest is an open house event. In this case, they will host viewings during a particular period of time, normally on one day.

They might propose virtual viewings too.

Next up, an estate agent will take care of the negotiations. So, interested buyers will make an offer to the estate agent who in turn, will pass it on to you. If a potential buyer submits an offer that’s too low? An estate agent will encourage them to increase their price.

Not only will they negotiate the all-important sale price, they will also broker any other particular sale terms too.

Another part of an estate agent’s remit is to suss out if the buyer is credible. They will look at how they plan to finance the purchase and will normally ask the buyer for evidence, such as a mortgage in principle. They’ll also find out how easily they can move. For example, is the buyer chain-free or do they need to sell their existing home first?

It’s worth bearing in mind that the best offer is not necessarily the highest price - and an estate agent will help you navigate this.

Let’s say you want to sell your house quickly. You may be better off proceeding with a first-time buyer who puts in a lower offer than a buyer in a long chain who submits a higher offer.

So, you’ve agreed a deal! You’re well on the way - but it’s not quite time to pop open a bottle of fizz.

An estate agent will complete a Memorandum of Sale outlining what has been agreed between you and the buyer. Now it’s time for the solicitors or conveyancers to handle the legal aspects of transferring ownership.

This part, known as conveyancing, can take time and a lot of to-ing and fro-ing. A good estate agent will play a key role in keeping things moving along. They'll liaise with different parties, nudge them for responses, and deal with any issues that crop up.

For example, a survey of your property may reveal an issue. The buyer might then try to negotiate the price down as a result. An estate agent will give you advice and manage the conversation with the buyer.

An estate agent will act as an important sounding board more generally for any queries you have along the way. Of course, they will help and assist all the parties in a transaction. But their job is to represent you, the seller - not the buyer.

Once all the hard graft is done and the sale has crossed the line, an estate agent will take your keys and hand them over to the new owners.

It’s not a legal requirement to hire an estate agent to sell your home. But given the intricacies and potential stress of selling a property, most people prefer to use one.

After all, it’s not every day that you sell a property. But a reputable estate agent will have plenty of knowledge and experience that could prove invaluable.