Estate Agency
Frequently Asked Questions
Why use an estate agent?
While it is, of course, possible to advertise your own house, it is often useful to use the services of an estate agent. An estate agent can arrange for the valuation, photographing and advertising of your property and can also handle queries and, should you wish, even viewings of your property. Purchasers often make an estate agent their first port of call when looking for a property.
Can a solicitor be an estate agent?
Yes. In fact, there is a strong argument that solicitors make excellent estate agents because they are subject to greater regulations than the general estate agents. Solicitors are required to provide a standard of professional care required by the Law Society. In Edinburgh, the ESPC (Edinburgh Solicitors Property Centre), and in Glasgow the GSPC (Glasgow Solicitors Property Centre) offer popular, well-used and respected estate agency services. Properties advertised through a solicitor are placed on the GSPC or ESPC website and are included in a weekly newspaper. These sites are exclusive to the selling of houses through solicitors.
What are the costs?
The rate of commission charged for estate agency services varies, often depending upon the property value. Our normal fee is 1%, but we do offer special packages to the taxi trade. The commission is to cover the cost of the estate agency and associated work. There will also be additional costs on one-off outlays, such as valuation fees, photography fees and the fees paid for insertion of adverts into newspapers or onto websites. Please contact us for full details of the charges and conditions that might be relevant to your sale.