Estate agents have come in for quite a lot of stick over the years but perhaps perceptions are changing. Online-only estate agents love to shout about how expensive some high street agents are which has only served to highlight the service offered by those agents with more reasonable fees.

So how do you choose the best estate agent for you? With so many estate agents apparently offering the same thing it can be difficult to choose between them but it’s important to look closely at what’s on offer.

First and foremost I would recommend using a local company. They will know the area which means knowing what type of buyer will be interested in your property. Furthermore they may even have buyers on their books already who could be interested. Also check that the agent is a member of a professional body such as the NAEA or RICS as this ensures they are licensed and will comply with relevant rules of conduct and codes of practice.

This brings us on to what your home is worth. Although getting a good selling price will be top of many seller’s lists, don't automatically go with the agent that offers you the highest valuation of your property - they may be overvaluing it in order to get your business. Then if you change your mind at a later date you may have to pay a withdrawal fee.

Find out what services are on offer, for example are they open 7 days a week? Many agents say that you can call them out of hours but the reality is that sometimes these calls are transferred to call centres who just take messages as they don’t have access to the computer system of the agent.

When it comes to showing the property, for most people it is better to let the agent conduct the viewing. (Check that this is included in their fee.) They are experts at selling and will be able to objectively show your property without any emotional attachment. What’s more the potential purchaser is more likely to say what they really think of the property to an agent rather than risking upsetting the owner. This could provide you with valuable feedback.

Check what kind of marketing material the agent will produce such as floorplans and where they will advertise. Almost all agents will advertise on their own website but not every one will subscribe to the all-important national websites such as Rightmove and Zoopla. Will they advertise your property in the local newspaper too? Most agents will provide a for sale board but again some may charge extra for this.

What about the fee? Typical fees are up to to 2% of the value of the property but often the agent will negotiate. Local fees are actually amongst some of the lowest in the country but they do still vary.

What if you decide to take your property off the market? This is an important one. Almost all agents will have a minimum contract period and often this will be around 12 weeks but some can be as long as 20 weeks. However not all agents will charge a withdrawal fee for you to take your property off the market after this time. It’s worth asking this question early on to make sure you don’t get stuck with a bill you don’t want.