Let’s face it, our estate agent isn’t our friend. At the end of the day, all they are interested in is getting a sale, and sometimes at any cost. Not every estate agent cares about your wellbeing or your questions, and some will even lie to your face about the home they’re selling.
But not every estate agent will lie and sell you false promises. Plenty of estate agents do care about what you want and will do anything in their power to help you out. After all, their performance and behaviour reflect on the establishment they work for, and the last thing they want to do is be out of a job!
Before you get ready to start packing and move into a potential new home, consider the possibility of your local estate agent trying to fool you into paying more. Always assume that they are after your wallet, and always stay on your toes when dealing with them.
Anyone Can Set Up an Estate Agent, Make Sure to Use Trusted Sources
Compare estate agents online and make sure you’re dealing with a reputable business. Don’t be fooled by their professional looking websites and “years of experience”. It’s easy to fake awards and achievements on websites, and even physical certificates can be forged. Most people walk into an estate agent and don’t think twice about questioning those shiny plates hanging on the wall. Don’t be those people. Ask them about the awards on the shelf and the certificates they have despite you never having heard of them. Lone estate agents on the high street are the most suspicious, and it’s not wise to blindly trust them.
Don’t Be Fooled by Jargon
A clueless estate agent will shower you with “smart” words and terms that you’ve never heard before. They talk you down with words even they don’t fully understand. Challenge them. Ask them what a particular word means when they’re trying to dazzle you with their vocabulary. If they’re unable to provide an answer or they can’t explain it in simple terms, then chances are they have no clue what they are talking about and you should avoid them.
“There’s another person bidding on this house…”
Don’t let this bluff fool you. Decide for yourself what a house is worth and set an upper limit of what you’re willing to spend. Don’t let the estate agent play tricks on you with this mysterious bidder that keeps going higher than you. They aren’t obligated to give out details for the other bidder, but you can tell if they’re lying by asserting a more confident personality. Tell them you have a limit you’re going to stick to, and if they pull the “oh, but someone’s bid higher!” card, then shrug your shoulders and tell them to have a nice day. If you see the house for sale a few weeks down the road, you know that the estate agent isn’t to be trusted. If the house is sold, then at least you didn’t pay more than what it was worth.
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