Estate agent questions
What to ask an estate agent before you offer
An estate agent can answer questions no register can: why the seller is moving, whether the price has already been reduced, what is actually included. None of that replaces an independent number.
Who the agent actually works for
In almost every sale, the estate agent is instructed and paid by the seller, usually as a percentage of the sale price. That is not a criticism, it is simply how the arrangement works, and it means the agent's job is to present the property well and close at the best price for their client. Useful information, asked directly, still helps you, but it is not independent advice.
Five questions worth asking directly
Why the current owner is selling. How long the property has actually been listed, not just since the latest relisting. Whether the asking price has already been reduced, and by how much. What is included in the sale and what is not, in writing. Whether there have been other offers, and what happened to them. Vague or deflected answers are themselves information.
What no agent can tell you objectively
Whether the asking price matches the market. An agent representing the seller has little reason to volunteer that a price is high. This is where an independent, source- backed number changes the conversation: instead of taking a price on trust or guessing, you walk into the negotiation already knowing what the market data says. See property valuation for how that number is calculated.
What Scan my Home adds to the conversation
Submit the listing link or an address and get a PDF report in 8 to 15 minutes: a conservatively derived market value, checks that run on fixed formulas, warning signs sorted by severity, and the running costs you will actually face. A standard report costs €29.99. It does not replace the agent's answers, it gives you a second, independent source to weigh them against.
Status, honestly
The service is in a test phase and payment is not switched on yet.
Frequently asked questions
What questions should I ask an estate agent?
Why the seller is moving, how long the property has been on the market, whether the price has already been reduced, what exactly is included in the sale, and whether there have been other offers. Ask each one directly and in writing where possible.
Does an estate agent work for the buyer or the seller?
In almost every case, for the seller. Their fee usually depends on the sale price and on the sale happening at all, which shapes what they emphasise and what they leave out. That is not dishonesty, it is the structure of the job.
How do I know if an asking price is negotiable?
Time on the market and prior price cuts are the two visible signals, but neither tells you the actual market value. A conservative, source-backed valuation in 8 to 15 minutes gives you a number to negotiate from instead of a guess.
A real sample report is public, every figure and every source in it. See also what to check before buying and pricing.