Only the best agents will always achieve this, even in a challenging market.

Popular belief is ‘traditional estate agency’ is dying, but this is a myth spread by agents without high street offices.

In practice traditional estate agency is alive and kicking and the successful agent has combined traditional estate agency methods with modern marketing techniques. This is what separates the wheat from the chaff.

What are the influencing factors?

When buying property today the majority of us are likely to begin our search on the internet. This allows for relaxed and private research at anytime of the day. However the next step is an enquiry form, a telephone call or visit to the estate agent for more detailed information and a friendly chat; it seems the internet is not a substitute for personal contact. Again, when making an offer, the preference is for the

personal touch. It is human nature to seek reassurance and to feel that the decision, which is often the largest financial commitment you make in your life, is the right one.

We’ve all made those calls, “I’m worried about ….. Can I call into the office and see you?”

When marketing your own property, there is no satisfactory alternative to familiarising yourselves with your proposed agent’s office: their method of working and members of their team.

After all it’s nice to know that when you need help, advice or support during the buying and selling process you can pop along to your local agent and see them face to face.

But who will buy my house?

When putting your property on the market one of the key questions you need to ask yourselves is where will the buyer for our property come from and more importantly does the agent have a marketing plan to find those buyers?

Today this can be achieved using a combination of branch networks, the internet and traditional marketing possibly linked to a network of associated offices; add to this an Estate Agent with unrivalled personal local knowledge gained over a number of years and you have the recipe for success.

Unfortunately, in the present climate, many estate agents have closed branches. This has reduced the scope of their marketing, and, severely depleted or completely cut out support staff whose job may have been to help find your buyer and possibly, even more importantly, get your sale to completion.So the danger for those of us selling at the moment is; will we be under pressure to accept a lower

offer as a result of these cuts? In today’s market you need to be confident that your proposed agent has the resources to invest the necessary time, effort and money into marketing your property to its maximum potential in order to achieve the best possible price.Beware of gimmicks; it is unlikely they can outwit commercial logic!A tried and tested marketing plan is always the best way forward.

The shrewd approach to marketing our property is to agree a fixed marketing price, using this method a prospective purchaser will always know what you are hoping to achieve.An agreed marketing period, regular marketing updates and reviews will undoubtedly help to avoid unnecessary delays which are in the interest of both you the seller and the agent.