How to pick an estate agent that won’t mess you about

Get three valuations, read the contract carefully, and never sign a long tie-in without understanding what you’re agreeing to. The valuation you fall for is almost always the wrong one.

Estate agents are paid to sell houses, not to be your friend. The cheerful ones will say whatever it takes to win the instruction and keep you in the contract, while the good ones give you a straight number and then do the work. There are estate agents listed on WotsItCalled, and telling them apart starts before anyone values your house.

Get three valuations, ignore the highest

It’s standard advice because it works. Most sellers instinctively go with the agent who gave them the biggest number, and that’s almost always a mistake.

A typical example: agent A says £320k, agent B says £325k and agent C says £360k. You go with C, list at £360k, get no viewings for six weeks, and then C suggests dropping to £325k. You’ve lost six weeks and a chunk of your buyers.

Choose on evidence rather than optimism:

• Ask each agent what they based the valuation on. They should show you actual sold prices from the last 3-6 months, not the asking prices of houses currently on the market.
• Look at their own track record in your area. How many properties near you have they actually sold in the last six months? Sold, not listed, which is a very different number.
• Look at how long their current listings have been up. If most of their stock has been on for 4+ months, they’re either overpricing or not working it.

Read the contract. Properly.

This is where the horror stories come from. Before you sign anything, find out:

• What’s the tie-in period? Two weeks is easy, six is common and twelve is a lot. Twenty weeks means they’re protecting their pipeline at your expense.
• How long after the tie-in ends before you can instruct another agent? There’s usually a notice period, and on top of a 12-week tie-in it can leave you stuck for four months.
• Is it sole agency, multi-agency, or sole selling rights? This one really matters. Sole selling rights means they get paid even if YOU find the buyer. Sole agency is better. Multi-agency lets you list with more than one agent but usually costs more.
• What’s the fee structure? Either a fixed fee or a percentage. Percentages usually run from 0.75% to 2% plus VAT, while fixed fees, which arrived with the online agents, are usually £500-1500.
• When does the fee become payable? On completion is normal and on exchange is acceptable. “On a ready, willing and able buyer being found” is the one to fear, because you could owe the fee even if the sale falls through.

What they should actually be doing

Once they’re instructed, the fee should pay for:

1. Professional photos. Proper wide-angle shots in good light, ideally in the morning, rather than phone snaps. The photos are 80% of why people click on a listing.
2. Floorplan. Basic for smaller places and detailed for larger ones. Buyers do use them.
3. Full property description. Written by a person rather than auto-generated, with local knowledge, nearby schools and transport links.
4. Rightmove, Zoopla, OnTheMarket listings. All three. That’s not optional in 2026.
5. Accompanied viewings. Especially useful if you’re at work during the day.
6. Proper feedback after viewings. Something you can act on, not “they loved it but went elsewhere”.
7. Regular progress calls. At least weekly once the listing is live, and every few days once you’ve had an offer.

An agent who goes quiet for a fortnight isn’t working on your house, and that’s the real problem with long tie-ins: you end up paying for silence.

Online vs high-street: the real trade-off

• High-street agents. A local office, accompanied viewings, local knowledge and a full service, typically for 1-1.5% of the sale price. Right for most sellers, especially first-timers.
• Online agents (Purplebricks, Yopa, Strike, etc). A flat fee, often paid up front, with no local office and you doing the viewings. Fine for a straightforward property in a busy area. Less good in a slow market, because they get paid whether or not your house sells.
• Hybrid / premium. Some agents now offer a middle-ground service for lower fees, which is worth asking about if the full-service price feels steep.

What matters is which one suits your market. With buyers queuing up, online might be fine. In a slow area, paying a high-street fee for someone who actively works your sale usually pays for itself.

Questions to ask before you sign

1. How many similar properties have you sold nearby in the last six months?
2. What’s the average time from listing to sold STC for your properties this year?
3. What’s your tie-in period and how do I get out of it early?
4. What happens if I get an offer and the buyer pulls out? Do I owe anything?
5. Who will be handling my sale day-to-day?
6. If I’m unhappy with the service, what’s your complaint process?

Where to start

The estate agents directory lists high-street and online agents across the UK, including York, Liverpool, Manchester and Chester. Get three valuations, compare the evidence, and pick the agent whose number stands up.

The second valuation no one tells you about

Most sellers don’t realise they can pay an independent surveyor for an honest valuation before bringing in an estate agent. It costs £250-500, takes a couple of days, and comes from someone who isn’t trying to win your business.

On a bigger sale it’s worth considering, because you walk into the agent valuations already knowing what a professional surveyor thinks the house is worth. Agents can’t dangle an inflated number to win the instruction, and anyone who tries stands out straight away. On a £500k house, £400 spent on a RICS valuation can save you months at the wrong price.

The short version

• Get three valuations and ignore the highest unless it comes with evidence.
• Read the tie-in period and the fee trigger clause before you sign.
• Sole agency beats sole selling rights. Whether a fixed fee or a percentage suits you depends on your price.
• Professional photos, a floorplan, all the major portals and weekly feedback are the minimum.
• Choose online or high-street to suit your market.

WotsItCalled is a free UK business directory. No signup, no catch. Find the place everyone’s on about, or browse the full estate agents directory.