What Every Homeowner Should Expect from an Estate Agent

What Every Homeowner Should Expect from an Estate Agent

Estate agents do not always have the best reputation, and it is worth being honest about that. In its 2025 Veracity Index, published in December 2025, Ipsos found that public trust in estate agents fell by five points on the year. That is not a comfortable statistic, but it is a useful one, because it raises the real question: how do you find an agent you can actually trust?

This is not a sales pitch. It is a guide to the standards you are entitled to expect from any agent you deal with, so you can judge us and everyone else by the same measure.

What should you always expect from an agent?

These are not perks or extras. They are the basics of doing the job properly, and you should accept nothing less from anyone.

1. Honesty about price and value, backed by real evidence rather than the number you want to hear.
2. Clear fees, explained and put in writing before you commit to anything.
3. Regular, straight communication, so you are never left wondering what is happening with your own home.
4. Accompanied viewings and honest feedback afterwards, good or bad.
5. Proactive work to keep your sale on track, rather than going quiet the moment the offer is agreed.
6. Your interests put first, ahead of a quick, easy deal that suits the agent more than it suits you.

What should you never accept?

Just as importantly, here is what you should walk away from. If you see these, trust your instincts.

• Being pressured or rushed into a decision that is yours alone to make.
• An inflated valuation designed to win your instruction, only to be talked down later.
• Poor communication, chased calls, and being passed from person to person.
• Hidden charges that appear only once you are committed.
• An agent who talks more than they listen, or who cannot answer a straight question straight.

How can you tell a good agent from the rest?

Watch how they behave before you have signed anything, because that is how they will behave afterwards. Look at how they justify their valuation, how they treat you, how clearly they explain the process, and what real clients say about them.

And look for independent accountability. Anyone can call themselves trustworthy. It counts for far more when someone other than the agent has checked, and can hold them to it.

Why we chose to be an Ethical Agent

There is another way to do this job, and we chose it. We are proud members of the Ethical Agent Network (EAN), a national group of independent agents independently assessed against strict standards of honesty, service, professionalism and community care. Membership is earned, it can be taken away, and we are the only agent in our area to hold it. It is our promise to you, put in writing and checked by someone other than us. If you would like to know more about the Ethical Agent Network, please get in touch or visit www.ethicalagentnetwork.co.uk.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if an estate agent is trustworthy?

Judge them on how they behave before you commit: honesty about value, clear written fees, straight communication and whether they listen. Independent accountability, where a body other than the agent checks and upholds standards, is a strong signal you can rely on.

What is the biggest red flag when choosing an agent?

An inflated valuation with little evidence behind it, used to win your business and then walked back later. Always ask an agent to justify their figure with real, recent local sales.

What is the Ethical Agent Network?

It is a national network of independent agents who have been independently assessed against strict standards of honesty, service and community care. Membership is earned rather than bought, and it can be removed, so the logo is a signal of an agent held to account by someone other than themselves.

Whether or not you ever choose to work with us, we want you to feel confident choosing any agent. If you would like to talk it through, we are always here and happy to help.

If you know someone about to choose an estate agent, please share this with them. It could save them a great deal.

Source:  [1] Ipsos Veracity Index 2025, published December 2025: public trust in estate agents fell by five points compared with 2024.