Picking an estate agent

[astoundedgoat]

I'm buying a flat, and selling the one I currently own in the same development (upgrading to a bigger flat).

The agent who has the flat that I'm interested in is one of the big local agents and they would be one of the agents I would normally go to for a valuation etc. There are other highly regarded agents operating in the area too though, including an agent who has recently sold flats in this same development.

But does the fact that they are the ones selling the flat I am interested in making an offer on make them a better or worse choice to get a valuation from for the flat I want to sell?

I am confident that the flat I want to sell will go like a shot. It's gorgeous, in very good decorative condition and in a desirable location, and I'm not planning to take the piss with my asking price.

Can I negotiate better fees if both sales go through the same agent? Or would there be a conflict of interest on some level I can't think of?

(I bet the answers are going to be evenly split!)

Theoretically you should get a better service and fees if they are going to get 2 transactions from you. They will want to get yours sold asap so you can buy the other one but if a first time buyer/cash buyer comes along they may still trump you. Good luck!

Okay - thank you. I don't think we'll get trumped by a first time buyer, but the vendor has slightly inflated notions of the value of the flat, and we are offering 75k less than the asking price!