Estate agents get a bad press; from economical use of the truth – “compact and bijoux” for “poky”, for example – to pushy behaviour to get you to sign on the dotted line, they’re about as popular as the traffic warden with anyone trying to buy or sell a property. However, there are aspects of the estate agent’s working methods that they are even more keen that you don’t discover.

Your estate agent may talk a good game about how their negotiating skills can get your either the best price for the home you’re selling, or manage to knock several thousand off the price of the home you’re buying. Take this with a pinch of salt; they might have a reasonable sales background, but their negotiating skills are unlikely to have been learned on any training course – particularly worrying if your estate agent is on a fixed fee, and they will get paid whatever the sale of your property realises.

In terms of valuing your property before putting it on the market, your estate agent is unlikely to have any more tools at their disposal than you are, even in terms of “experience”! Do your own homework; Mouseprice and Rightmove are essential tools to price your home in your own mind before accepting an estate agent’s valuation without question.

How is your estate agent going to sell your home? Don’t be fooled by “special” projects, such as beauty parades, open days, or premium advertising in the local press. Although these may appear to be reassuring efforts to achieve a sale on the surface, many properties still sell on little more than a “For Sale” notice in the front garden. Most buyers will also take advantage of online resources.

What your estate agent really doesn’t want you to know is that you could probably do their job just as well!

Sally Ritcher loves reading writing and sharing tips how to save money and make the most out of every situation. Sally currently works on behalf of Martin & Co letting agents as one of the marketing co-ordinators.