How to choose an estate agent to sell your flat: 9 awkward questions

Choosing who sells your flat is choosing who negotiates on your behalf the biggest transaction of your life. And yet most people sign with the first agency that walks through the door or with the one that "values it the highest". Bad criteria both times.

Here are the questions that separate the professionals from the snake-oil salesmen. Ask them all, and pay more attention to how they answer than to what they answer.

1. "How did you calculate this price?"

The only valid answer includes comparables: real recent sales of similar homes in the area. If the valuation comes without data ("I know the area", "from my experience"), it's an opinion, not a valuation.

And be wary of the highest valuation of all when it has no foundation: sometimes the price is inflated to win your signature, not to sell your flat.

2. "What exactly are you going to do to sell it?"

Ask for the written sales plan: professional photography, the portals where it will be listed, whether there will be featured ads, how viewings are managed, how often they report back to you. "We push it a lot" is not a plan.

3. "How long do flats like mine take to sell?"

An agency that works the area knows the average selling time by property type. If it doesn't know, it doesn't work the area: it's just passing through.

4. "Exclusive or not, and why would it suit me?"

Watch whether they explain both options with their pros and cons, or push exclusivity without arguments. A professional tells you when exclusivity suits you, not them.

5. "What happens if I'm not happy?"

Duration of the mandate, cancellation conditions, what happens if you sell by yourself. Everything has to be in the contract, not in the conversation. If they say "that won't happen", insist.

6. "Who will be looking after me?"

In many agencies, the person who wins your listing (the friendly salesperson) isn't the one who sells it (someone else you'll never meet). Ask who manages the viewings, who negotiates and how they'll keep you informed. You want a name and a phone number, not a department.

7. "Are you licensed / registered as agents?"

In the Comunitat Valenciana, estate agency work requires registration in the Registro de Agentes de Intermediación Inmobiliaria (the official register of estate agents, established by Decree 98/2022). It's a legitimate question and the answer should be clear: yes, with a number; or "in process", honestly. Vagueness here is a bad sign.

8. "What commission do you charge and what does it include?"

Have them break down what's included in the commission: photos, portals, support through to the notary's. And have them tell you whether there are extra costs (some agencies charge separately for photography or featured ads). No small print.

9. "Can you show me flats you've sold around here?"

Not testimonials with an invented first name: real transactions in the area, with closing prices if possible. An agency with a local track record shows it without hesitation. One without it changes the subject.

Red flags (run)

• Valuation well above the rest without comparables to back it up.
• Pressure to sign today: "this price is only valid if you sign now".
• Very long exclusivity periods (12 months) with no exit clause.
• Abnormally low commission without explaining what they're cutting.
• They won't let you take the contract home to read it.
• Promises of results: "I'll sell it in two weeks, guaranteed". Nobody can guarantee that.

Green flags (stay)

• They show you data before asking for your signature.
• They also tell you what doesn't add up about your flat or your price.
• The contract is clear and they let you read it at your leisure.
• They explain the costs and taxes of the sale without you having to ask.
• They have a real office or presence in the area, not just a mobile phone.

The best filter is this: are they selling you the agency, or are they thinking about how to sell your flat? If the whole conversation is about how great they are and nothing about your property, you already have your answer.

Choosing well takes an afternoon of interviews. Choosing badly costs months and thousands of euros. The afternoon is worth it.

At Llevant Patrimonial we answer all nine before you even ask. Opening soon in Cullera.