Moving with children presents a whole host of challenges that you wouldn’t have had to contend with when you were childless.
When you’re moving with children, you must choose the right estate agent. They need to be more than just a salesperson. They’re your local guide to understanding school catchments and commute times for the purpose of getting to work on time.
You need a different kind of estate agent when you’re moving with family, and here’s how you choose them wisely.
Prioritize hyper-local knowledge
You must be looking at real estate agents who have hyper-local knowledge of the area you’re looking to move to. Families will have specific needs that standard listings and agents might not always be able to cover.
You therefore want to choose an agent who can answer everything there is to know about schooling details. They’ll likely have a lot of information on child safety and identifying the safest places for you and your loved ones to live. Someone who also offers the daily logistics of commute and walking times will help you make a more detailed decision on location.
Look for the relocation specialist services available
In some cases, a specialist touch might be needed to relocate to the right spot. Some agents will often provide enhanced support.
Property finders can be a good way to identify the ‘off-market’ homes and manage the communications with your surveyors and solicitors to minimise stress levels.
Assess communication and their flexibility
When it comes to moving with a family, it can often be unpredictable. That’s why it’s important to have an agent who matches you when it comes to your lifestyle. Their working style should be catered to what you’re after.
Make sure to assess their communication and how quickly they are to respond. Their availability outside of working hours can be helpful to establish, as well as seeking a personal agent model where you’re just dealing with one person instead of multiple ones.
Verify credentials and reputation
It’s always good for your due diligence to conduct checks before you go ahead with using their services.
You’ll want to verify their credentials by ensuring they’re members of the correct professional bodies and that they also offer plenty of great reviews online, especially family-focused, where possible. Look at platforms like Trustpilot or Google reviews to see how they’ve handled family clients prior.
Essential questions worth asking
There are also some essential questions that you’ll want to get answered before you use the agent for your property journey. Here are a few example questions to have ready:
- Have you helped many families with specific requirements like ours?
- What are your local extracurricular options in the local area for our children’s age?
- How do you handle viewings for families with kids?
The more questions you ask, the better you can feel in knowing that you’ve made the right choice.
Estate agents are a dime a dozen nowadays, but you’ll always want to select the right one based on your personal preferences and needs.
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