How do you know if the Estate Agent you choose to act when selling your house is a good one?

There are many reasons we might find ourselves needing the services of an Estate Agent, buying or selling a house is the obvious one but that may be for ourselves or on behalf of a relative, and sometimes, it may be in difficult circumstances. In any case, buying or selling a house is recognised as one of the most stressful times in our lives, so being sure you are with the right Estate Agent is essential.

There are many subjective considerations, like the personality of the Agent, whether you like them or not, after all ‘people buy people’ as the old adage goes. But more importantly there are legal requirement to consider, like whether the Agent you choose is registered with one of the mandatory ‘Redress Schemes’.

Since October 2014 all estate agents are required to register with an Estate Agents Redress Scheme which can investigate complaints from members of the public. There are currently three schemes available and either one of the following are acceptable, The Property Ombudsman, The Ombudsman Scheme and more recently The Property Redress Scheme.

These schemes require Estate Agents to provide additional consumer protection which goes beyond that required by civil law, which means that if for whatever reason you become in dispute with your agent, there is a higher authority who will assess each case individually and ensure a fair settlement is achieved. Essential at any time but in particular at a time of high stress.

It’s a simple task to find out if the agent you intend to use is registered, use of the appropriate logo will normally be found on their paperwork or website but if not, a quick search of the three websites reveals all registered companies, something you really must check before appointing any Estate Agent.

The Purple Property Shop in Bolton has been a member of The Property Ombudsman since 2010 and would be happy to advise anyone seeking to sell their house, without obligation or expectation.

In short, before you appoint an Estate Agent to sell your house, check if they belong to one of the mandatory redress schemes, after all, you wouldn’t use an unregulated doctor or dentist, so why chance it with an Estate Agent?