Many estate agents will flatter you and promote themselves by claiming that they’ll get you the ’highest price in the shortest possible time’.

This is easy to say, but not so easy for most agents to justify or indeed deliver! Effective property sales involve a combination of great presentation, attractive pricing and effective marketing along with a host of other techniques that facilitate a successful sale.

When the time comes to find an estate agent, you’re spoilt for choice. Almost too much choice. Experience, skills and services differ drastically from agent to agent, and sometimes, it’s difficult to know what you’re actually looking for. Let’s look at some of the factors you may want to consider when you’re making that very important decision: ’Which estate agent should we use?’

People - ’people buy people’, so the saying goes, and we know how important it is that you get informed, friendly communication as often as you need it.

Insight - all estate agents have access to the same public databases and information. But when you’re selling a unique home, it’s not data you need - it’s insight. How your estate agent interprets this information and transforms it via their experience and instinct into advice, is where their true value to you lies.

Proof - when you chose your estate agent, was it because they regularly and successfully sell homes like yours? Or just because you bought through them originally, or perhaps you’re hoping to buy a home they’re selling?

Because whilst the latter may seem like good reasons to choose an estate agent, we believe that precedent in selling homes similar to yours in quality or price, or both, will have a greater bearing on whether they can sell yours successfully.

As innovative estate agents with our finger firmly on the pulse of the local property market, we do things a bit differently at Black Grace Cowley Estate agents. One of the innovations that we have recently introduced is the ’secret agent’ concept whereby a property is offered ’off-market’ - and it’s proving to be hugely effective.

In essence, instead of bringing your property to market in the expected way with the usual initial exposure across the property portals, local advertising, window display, website, etc, we make it quietly known to suitable pre-qualified buyers that the property is ’about to come onto the market’.

This ’advance notice’ really excites buyers as they feel they have exclusive access to a property that other buyers do not. During this pre-marketing phase we find that buyers are more likely to pay the full asking price rather than lose out.

This technique is especially effective for properties that could possibly command an excellent price from one of a small pool of buyers, or where the vendor wants to try an ambitious price for a short period of time without exposing the property to the risk of going stale on the market - one of the worst things that can happen to a property!

Alternatively, if you have a property that has remained unsold for several months, it might just be worth ’withdrawing’ it from the market and reoffering it in this way, with us as your ’secret agent’. You might be in for a pleasant surprise!

Why not call us today on (01624) 645555, in confidence, to see how a more creative approach to property sales can pay real dividends?