I am in West London. I had my 1 bed ground floor maisonette on the market before with an agency. I negotiated 1% and 8 week tie in. However, they were useless and lazy. Got me one silly offer and that it.
I just had 2 valuations.
Agent A said that she couldn't negotiate on the percentage but could offer a flat fee of £5,000 plus VAT. She said she could negotiate on tie in however.
I liked her, she seemed enthusiastic about my place and said there are a shortage of garden maisonette with own front door and direct access onto garden and side gate.
She mentioned that an The Times had run an article this weekend on how my area was the best place to live in London. I liked that as it shows me they keep their finger on the pulse of things.
They recently sold a property that is on the same road as mine but is unmodernised, first floor and no direct access to garden. It went for £15,000 cheaper than the asking price.
I asked her about how they sell and market and she said that she has a team of 4 and they do not get group commission so they are proactive in their efforts to sell.
She told me about how they tap into their other 2 branches nearby too.
Agent B: is a family run business. He went on about knowing my family and how he's straight up with his valuations. I didn't like him. The receptionist was supposed to confirm the time he would come and didn't. I thought he was coming later, but came really early but apologised for being 15 minutes late. 
I didn't like that.
Unfortunately, I didn't have time to hide the brochure the first agent left and he saw it and began his negativity against said Agent A . He said he used to work for them years ago. He told me their tactics are to price high and then reduce. Which is probably correct but if their are a shortage of my kind then you never know. He said they bring potential buyers in cars and he had heard people refuse to get out of the cars as it's not what they want. But I rented a flat when an estate agent did that with me, so that tactic can work. I feel that is proactive.
I asked him what his sales and marketing strategy is and he impatiently said I've just told you. He said I price right and get head though the door and market on Rightmove.
He said there is no chance I would get what the other estate agent suggested £25,000 more than he would put it on for. But he also said that he hopes that he wouldn't get too much less than what he put it on for.
He said the other Agent could sue me if I had a friend who wanted to buy it!
I found him to be very negative (some might say realistic)? But I found I was in a really bad mood when he left. He was kind of snobby and rude about the part my place is in as it's not as salubrious. He also mentioned about when I'd bought it and how I would have made a good profit. I didn't like that comment.
I asked him about fees as he mumbled about waiting to see what to get me as I had said that I have other agent coming round. He did mumble something about 1.25% and a reasonable tie in.
When I mentioned that the other agent had at least sold the property near mine when it had been on for another agent he said yeah well not for the asking price and it's been on for months.
The thing is there are not many other decent agents. One was so rude I cancelled the valuation. Others have bad reviews.
Is Agent B just more realistic.
Agent A is just extortionately priced.
What would you suggest?