Are estate agent reviews trustworthy?

There is an entire class of jokes around the trustworthiness of estate agents and the accuracy of their descriptions of properties. We have all heard the one about what an estate agent means when labelling a house or apartment as “bijou.”

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Ethical deficit?

The negative commentary is not always reserved for the comedy pages: you will occasionally find quite serious discussions of the profession’s ethics in the UK broadsheets. See, for example, this feature in which the Telegraph praises an agent for atypical honesty in describing a London flat as “not very nice.” After reading this type of article, you would be forgiven for concluding that there is a striking ethical deficit among estate agents.

The truth?

The truth, of course, is much more nuanced. The vast majority of agents are honest and honourable people who do a great job. They do not relish their industry being besmirched by the rogue operators who hit the headlines. Finding an agency that you can trust has, at least in theory, never been easier, with online customer reviews being readily available. Research from Feefo, a consumer insights group, demonstrates that some 70 per cent of house hunters in the 25-to-34 age group consult this type of review before choosing an estate agent.

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A further fascinating out-take from this study is that 88 per cent of respondents said that they were satisfied with the service they had received from their estate agent. This finding underscores the way online reviews can repair the profession’s public image. Even more importantly, the satisfaction rating highlights the point that the reviews that prompted the selection of an agent are generally reliable and accurate.

Trust your instincts

As useful as other people’s opinions unquestionably are, there is no real substitute for trusting your own instincts about estate agents. A functional, attractive and up-to-date website, for example, speaks volumes about an agency’s professionalism and trustworthiness. To this extent, if you are looking for a Gloucester estate agency, why not visit http://www.tgres.co.uk/ Gloucester’s number 1 Estate Agency?

There are few life decisions more important than buying a house, either for you and your family or as an investment, so it’s crucial to be confident that you are receiving a high level of service. This type of peace of mind is priceless.