Don't bother physically looking at properties if you are not ready to buy. It is a waste of your time, the owners' time and the agents' time.

Before viewing
Speak to a mortgage advisor and solicitor before you start looking.

Word of mouth
The best way to find an agent is from word of mouth. Ask people you know if they have sold/bought a house and what estate agent they used and if they were any good. This way you will find out which ones are the best and which ones to stay clear of.

Tour the area
Tour the area and surrounding area you are looking to buy/sell and jot down the 'For Sale' and 'Sold Boards' or ('Under Offer') per agent. Then make a comparissment chart. Calculate the agent with the highest number of sold boards as a % of the total number of boards they have up. Try to buy through the agent with the largest market share. (Often the prices of their houses are cheaper). Selling your house should be a quicker process as well as they will have more clients then others.

Get a few quotes
If you are selling make an appointment with at least 3 agents to come out and give you a valuation prices and ask how much commission they charge before deciding on the one you want.

Register
Register with as many agents as you can. If any of them don`t get back to you with in 2 weeks contact them but if they continue to fail to get back to you then take your name off their mailing list. Make a note of the agents you are registered with.

Get to know your agent
Meet your estate agent face to face and not over the phone, not only will you know what he/she looks like but it is more personal and you can build a relationship up with him/her.

Give them a wishlist
A wishlist is just a description of the type of home, it`s features, the area etc.. that you are looking for. Most agents don`t care about what you are looking for in a house just what price you are willing to pay. And they will keep sending you property listings for that price range. Cut all of this out by giving them the wihlist and tell them that you don`t want to be contacted unless the property resembles what you are looking for.

Contact details
Most agents have lots of buyers and a limited amount of time to contact them about new properties that come on the market. Make sure you give them as many contact numbers as possible.

Viewing
In a busy market, view properties without waiting to see the particulars.

View a property during the day so that you can get a good look and to see if there is any thing that needs done to it. If you are interested in a house go back and have a look around the area at night then you will know if the area is as quite as it looks during the day "or if there are kids hanging around on the street corners".

Make a real effort to get on with the owners.

Ask how long the property has been on the market. If has been on the market for a while there might be a reason, in need of major repairs, bad neighbours, bad neighbourhood etc..

Offering
As soon as you decide you want it put in an offer straight away. Most people don`t they think they can wait a while and when they go to make an offer the house is already gone.

Don't give the agent any impression that you might increase your bid (if you are nervous about slipping up, put your bid in writing).

Get a 'homebuyers' survey carried out if the property is more than 10 years old.

Don't be afraid to re-negotiate the sale price if a homebuyer's survey identifies work that needs doing.

Try to set a deadline exchange date and ideal completion date when agreeing your offer.

Make your offer including any major fixtures and fittings you want included.

Useful Links

Kirklees Libraries Huddersfield Town The Statistics Office Ten Downing Street European Commission United Nations