and valued our property over and beyond what we expected meaning that we have more than enough in settlement funds to put in for our PNP application Not out of the woods yet because we need another valuation and the other estate agent can't make it out 'til next week but it's a good start and I'm hoping he/she won't be too far in their estimation from the one we were given today!

You only need to supply one agents valuation - so go with the best one!

Surely if their think there is a chance of getting the listing they will value it at whatever you want.

You do have a point, but I don't want to be seen influencing their decision in any way so I did keep my mouth shut about what I was hoping for, though my 18 month old son did try to bribe him by offering him his toy cars to play with when he was taking me through his estimate so maybe that was what did the trick

There was a bizarre notion where I lived in Canada that estate agents were highly thought of bastions of the community & to be respected. I always thought some Canadians were strange.

My opinion of realators, namely many of them were two faced manipulative shysters who were on a par with Traffic wardens & tax collectors was met with that sometimes bland look many Canadians give when they don't quite get you.

The downward pressure is that they need to be able to achieve the price. No point in listing something that you can't sell.

That is true. I've never known an estate agent value a house at a high price just to get the listing over a competitor, then tell the vendor after a month with no interest that they have to reduce the price.

Point taken.

particularly when they have a lock in clause!

You guys must have missed the TV show about Re-max, they have a policy of telling the customer they will get the 20-25% over what its worth , just to get the listing, then when its all signed they start on what they call "Customer expectaion realignment" where over a 4-8 week period they convince the sellers that early "Hopes" for there property has failed and they had better start looking to reduce the asking price, It was a 1 hr TV show with hidden cameras on a reporter who went under cover as a trainee realtor, it was all proper remax training stuff direct from the US.

I'm sure it happens over here too but we were talking about estate agents in the UK.

I live in the UK - had 2 Estate Agent valuations last week on the same day. The second Estate Agent valued house at £45,000 more than the first Estate Agent did. We are inclined to go with that Estate Agent but in reality I think the first one is being more realistic in the current economic climate (hand on heart) - the first one was going on about the size of the floor space in the house, didn't seem to take into consideration things like, double glazing, new boiler, new bathroom, carpets etc., not overlooked front or rear. He also said that if we put it on at a higher price that in 6 months we would be reducing it to the price he advised in the first place.

We are going to try for the higher valuation but it will be interesting to see if we actually sell it at the lower price in the end!!

Do you think that there might have missed a tinge of sarcasm in the previous posts?

It was on Ch4 UK TV , remeber remax are worldwide