How to choose between estate agents after a valuation

After two or three agents have valued your home, you are often left with a spread of numbers and a decision to make. The trap is to pick the agent who named the biggest figure. The better approach is to choose on evidence.

Why do estate agents give different valuations?

A valuation is an estimate, and agents read the same market slightly differently. Some, though, quote a high price deliberately to win your instruction, knowing they can push for a reduction once your home has sat unsold. A higher number on the day can mean a lower price in the end.

How do you choose the right estate agent, step by step?

1. 1. Get more than one valuation

   Invite two or three local agents to value your home so you have a range to compare, rather than a single opinion to accept or reject.

2. 2. Check the price against real evidence

   Ask each agent for the recent sold prices they based their figure on, then check those against HM Land Registry sold-price data for similar homes near you.

3. 3. Compare the fees properly

   Ask for the fee as a percentage including VAT and as a pound figure, and confirm in writing what you pay if the home does not sell.

4. 4. Read the contract tie-in

   Check the tie-in period and the notice period before you sign, because a long tie-in locks you in even if the agent underperforms.

5. 5. Judge the marketing plan

   Ask how they will photograph, list and promote your home, and where buyers will actually see it.

6. 6. Pick on merit, not on flattery

   Choose the agent whose evidence and plan convince you, not the one who simply named the biggest number.

Should you always pick the agent with the highest valuation?

No. An asking price set above what buyers will pay tends to draw silence, then a price cut, then a sale that often lands below where a realistic price would have started. The agent who shows you the sold-price evidence behind a sensible number is usually the safer choice than the one who flatters you with the highest.

How much do estate agents charge in 2026?

Fees are negotiable, and agents tend to open at the top of their range, so it is worth asking. The table shows typical 2026 rates and what they cost on a £300,000 sale.

What is a tie-in period?

A tie-in period is the length of time you are committed to one agent under a sole agency contract, during which you cannot instruct anyone else without risking paying two fees. Tie-ins of 8 to 12 weeks are common, and a shorter one gives you room to switch if the agent does not deliver.

An agent who values your home far above the rest is not backing you; they are buying your instruction.

Comparing agents properly is the whole idea behind the platform. ValuQ gives UK homeowners free, side-by-side property valuations from competing local estate agents, so you can weigh every response, and the evidence behind it, on a single screen before you speak to anyone.