How to choose estate agent?

[goldenshoe]

We're hoping to put our flat on the market in the next couple of weeks and have had 3 estate agents out to value. It's a small 2 bed flat with private garden on the beachfront.

The first agent came just a day or two out of lockdown and reckoned we could get around £145k, which was less than we really hoped but within our 'trying to be realistic' limits. He seemed fairly impressed with the flat but didn't appear to pick up that we had a private garden, and we wondered if he maybe wasn't quite back in to the swing of things work wise. However, he didn't email on any of the pricing info I asked for but sent a generic video link and no contact since. I don't think we'll instruct him.

The next two came out earlier this week and were absolutely glowing with positivity about the flat, the location, and the work we'd done to it. Both gave a bottom line of £150k and said the market is going crazy, it's a great time to sell, they really want to sell this flat, it will go in days probably for a lot more.

So, how do you choose who to sell with? A google brings up good and bad reviews for each of them so that's no use. Does it come down to fees or should we get a better feel for the agent.

One agent was really putting on a performance walking around with a dictaphone effusively reciting his speil, the other was more down to earth but seemed to genuinely love the place. I am a massive cynic but even I'm having trouble not letting the flattery get the better of me!

[woodlandwalker]

You can also go on Getagent and see what percentage of asking price they get on average. I emailed the two agents I was considering and told them I was considering two of them and asked for their lowest fee in order to get my instruction. I'm in England so things may be different for you.

[frazzledasarock]

I think we went on zoopla find an agent.

Three called back, one didn't turn up twice, one I didn't feel happy with so we went with the one I got on with and who turned up. The one who didn't turn up was pissed off when I called him to cancel the rearranged appt.

Also had at first tried to get someone from the agents we initially bought our house from and the agent was weird, told us our house had damp! And disappeared! I had our house checked after that and it was perfectly fine. But that was really weird.

[goldenshoe]

Thanks for the advice, I'll check out Getagent just now and see how they fare.

The 'performance guy' says he'll slash his fee from £1500 to £1000 because he's so sure he can get a great price for us. For some reason that seems overly generous and it makes me suspicious (I said I was cynical!).

The damp things is just weird!