Choosing your agent weighs more on the outcome of your sale than any other decision — more than the asking price, more than the season. Two agents given the same property will not achieve the same price, nor the same timeline. Yet the choice is usually made on an impression, a shop window seen in passing, or the most flattering valuation.
Here is what actually predicts a good sale, and what makes no difference.
The strongest predictor: results on comparable properties
An agent who sells thirty flats a year in your neighbourhood knows the price the market accepts, the buyers who are looking, and the objections that recur. That same agent starts from zero on a townhouse or an unusual property.
So ask, plainly:
- how many properties comparable to yours (type, price range, neighbourhood) they sold in the last twelve months;
- how long each took, on average;
- what gap there was between the initial asking price and the price finally achieved.
That third question is the most revealing, and the least asked. An agent who lists high then negotiates down 12 % costs you time and credibility: a property that lingers loses value in buyers' eyes, who assume a hidden defect.
A serious professional answers all three without evasion. Discomfort is itself an answer.
The trap of the highest valuation
This is the most widespread mechanism in the trade, and it works because it flatters.
Three agents visit. The first says €340,000, the second €350,000, the third €395,000. The third wins the mandate. Three months later there is no buyer, and the agent explains that "the market has shifted". Two price cuts follow, and a final sale around €335,000 — below what the first agent would have achieved, because the property has been dragging for six months.
A valuation is not a promise. It commits to nothing. What commits is the price a buyer signs.
Faced with a wide gap between two valuations, the right question is not "who is right?" but "what are you basing this on?". An agent must be able to name the comparable properties behind the figure, their sale dates, and how they differ from yours. A valuation that cannot be justified is an opinion.
An independent valuation, obtained before the meetings, gives you a reference point no one round the table has an interest in moving.
The marketing plan, not the promise of a result
Ask what will be done, concretely, not what will be obtained:
| What to ask | What a good answer contains |
|---|---|
| Photos and presentation | Professional photographer or not, number of shots, floor plans, virtual tour |
| Distribution | Which portals, for how long, with what paid boosting |
| Buyer database | How many candidates already searching this segment, contacted when |
| Viewings | Who conducts them — the agent or a colleague — and with what availability |
| Reporting | How often, in what form, with what feedback from viewings |
| Negotiation | Who negotiates, and how far they can go without calling you |
An agent who answers "we'll take care of everything" has no plan. An agent who hands you a written document has one.
Check IPI accreditation — it is public and quick
In Belgium, working as an estate agent is a regulated profession. No one may take a sale mandate for payment without being listed on the register of the Professional Institute of Estate Agents (IPI). Registration requires professional indemnity insurance, a code of conduct, and a financial guarantee.
The register is public. An IPI number can be checked in seconds. An agent who does not volunteer it, or sidesteps the question, is an agent you do not sign with.
Beware a common confusion: the entry states whether the agent is a broker, a managing agent (syndic), or both, and whether they are a full member or a trainee. A managing agent is not necessarily competent in sales; a trainee works under supervision.
The criteria that predict nothing
- The size of the agency. A national network brings no more buyers than a well-established local independent: buyers search on portals, not by brand.
- The number of shop windows. The window has not sold property for fifteen years. It reassures the seller, not the buyer.
- A lower commission. One point of commission is a few thousand euros; poor price positioning costs ten times more. Choosing on commission means optimising the small item while neglecting the large one.
- Likeability. It makes the relationship pleasant; it does not raise offers. A good agent is sometimes the one who contradicts you on your price.
How many agents should you meet?
Three, at minimum. Not to play them off on fees, but because three opinions are enough to reveal the outlier: if two agents converge and a third is 15 % away, you know which one to question.
Allow the same time for each, ask the same questions, and take notes. A serious valuation meeting rarely lasts under an hour.
What to have in hand before signing
- The verified IPI number, with the broker / managing agent and full member / trainee status.
- The written, justified valuation, naming the comparable properties.
- The marketing plan, in writing.
- The exact commission, VAT included, and what it covers.
- The mandate duration and its exit conditions.
- An independent valuation obtained beforehand, as a reference that depends on none of the three.