How NOT to Choose the Agent to Sell Your Home
Choosing a local estate agent because they gave the highest valuation, charged the lowest fee or have lots of boards nearby can be tempting – but are these really the right reasons? Here are 5 common mistakes that I believe sellers make when choosing an agent, and what you should be looking for instead when picking an estate agent in Derbyshire.
Before we start, a quick word from me. This blog isn’t here to convince you that Cope & Co. should be your estate agent. I know that the right agent for one seller won’t necessarily be the right agent for another. Our aim is simply to help you ask the right questions, look beyond the obvious sales pitches and make a more informed choice so whoever you decide to work with gives you the best possible chance of achieving the outcome you want from your move.
Choosing an estate agent is one of the biggest decisions you will make when selling your home.
Get it right and you will have someone who understands what you are trying to achieve, positions your property correctly, creates genuine buyer interest, negotiates strongly and keeps your move progressing.
Get it wrong and you could lose weeks or months, end up reducing your asking price, accept less than you might otherwise have achieved or, in the worst cases, see your move fall apart altogether.
Yet sellers regularly choose an estate agent for reasons that, on the surface, seem perfectly sensible. Here are five of the most common:
A recommendation is a starting point, not a decision
Recommendations are valuable. There is nothing wrong with asking friends, family or neighbours about their experiences, but there is a danger in assuming that the agent who was right for them must automatically be right for you.
Your friend may have been selling a completely different type of property, in a different area, at a different price point and with entirely different priorities. Perhaps they needed a very quick sale, while you are prepared to wait longer for the right price. Perhaps they were selling an empty investment property, whereas you have an onward purchase, children, school dates or a particular timescale to work around.
Take the recommendation seriously, but do not make it your only reason for choosing the agent.
'For Sale' doesn't mean SOLD
If an agent has lots of For Sale boards in an area, it is easy to assume they must be the obvious choice. Not necessarily. A For Sale board tells you that an agent has won an instruction. It does not tell you whether they sold the property.
Look beyond how many homes an agent puts onto the market and start asking what happens afterwards. How many are actually selling? How long are they taking? How often are asking prices being reduced? How many sales subsequently fall through?
Most importantly, ask what that agent does differently to turn a property from 'For Sale' into SOLD. Winning instructions and successfully selling homes are two very different skills.
Great property videos do not tell the whole story
Good marketing matters enormously. High-quality photography, video, social media, presentation and online exposure can all play an important role in generating interest in your home. However, being a good content creator does not automatically make somebody a great estate agent!
A beautifully produced property video might generate thousands of views, likes and comments. That doesn't necessarily mean it generates genuine interest, viewings or the right buyers.
Marketing is only one part of the job. What happens when an enquiry arrives? How quickly is it followed up? How well are buyers qualified? How are viewings conducted? What happens afterwards? How proactively does the agent chase feedback? And, when an offer arrives, can they negotiate effectively on your behalf?
A slick social media presence is a positive. It should not, on its own, decide who sells your home.
The highest valuation can be the most expensive mistake
If you've read any of our other blogs, you'll know that I believe that overvaluing a home to win an instruction is the scourge of our industry.
Three estate agents visit your home. One says £325,000. Another says £330,000. The third says £350,000. Who do you want to believe? Understandably, probably the third one.
Let's be very clear on one important truth... an estate agent does not determine the value of your home. The market does.
An inflated valuation can be an extremely effective way of winning an instruction. The problem comes several weeks later when viewings are slow, buyers are not making offers and the conversation turns to reducing the asking price. By then, the property has lost the impact of being new to the market.
Here are a few 'killer stats' on overvaluing as at the the time of writing this blog
📊 Of 710,729 homes that have come onto the market since 1st January 2026, only a third of them have had a sale agreed on them (238,105).
📊 Of those 238k UK homes that did sell subject to contract, 4 out of 5 (80.08%) sold without a price reduction... and to twist the knife...
📊 Those that did sale agree without a reduction, did so in a average of 28 days. The 20% that needed a price reduction, took an average of 64 days to get a sale agreed.
A good valuation should be based on evidence, experience and an understanding of current buyer demand. More importantly, the agent should be able to explain why they are recommending a particular price and how that asking price fits into the overall strategy for your move.
The highest valuation is not necessarily the best valuation. Sometimes it is simply the highest number.
The cheapest fee is not always the best value
Estate agency fees matter. Of course they do. But choosing an agent purely because they offered the lowest fee can be a very expensive saving.
Imagine one agent charges slightly more but, through better marketing, stronger buyer relationships and better negotiation, achieves several thousand pounds more for your property.
Which agent was actually cheaper? The question should not simply be “What percentage do you charge?” It should be “What am I getting for that fee?”
Ask what the marketing includes. Ask how the property will be launched. Ask how they generate buyers, how viewings are followed up, how offers are negotiated and who will manage the sale once a buyer is found. Saving a few hundred pounds in fees is little consolation if poor advice ultimately costs you thousands on your sale price.
Invite at least three estate agents
Before making your decision, invite a minimum of three estate agents to your home. Not simply so you can compare valuations and fees, but so you can compare their thinking.
A good estate agent should spend time understanding you. Why are you moving? Where are you hoping to go? Have you already found somewhere? Is achieving the highest possible price your overriding priority, or is certainty more important? Do you have a particular deadline? Are there complications elsewhere in the chain?
Your answers should influence both the valuation and the marketing strategy. Two identical houses next door to each other could quite reasonably require two different selling strategies if their owners have completely different circumstances.
Choose your estate agent for their strategy
Choosing an estate agent should not be a popularity contest, a beauty contest or an auction to see who will quote the highest price or lowest fee.
Meet several agents. Ask difficult questions. Listen carefully to the answers. Then choose the one who demonstrates that they understand not just your property, but your move.
The winner should be the agent who can tailor the property value, launch plan and marketing strategy around your individual objectives, circumstances and timescale, and explain exactly how they intend to get you from where you are now to where you want to be.
Because the best estate agent is not necessarily the one with the most boards, the fanciest videos, the cheapest fee or even the highest valuation. It is the one with the clearest plan to help you sell successfully and move confidently into the next chapter of your life.
Thinking of selling? Put us on your shortlist
Of course we'd like to be on your shortlist!
If you are thinking of selling, then inviting us to be one of the three agents you meet would be great for us and, hopefully, great for you too! We will tailor our valuation and marketing strategy around your priorities, circumstances and timescale. A link to book a Sales Consultation can be found below.
