UK homebuyers rely on reviews to inform their decision making when selecting an estate agent, according to a national study commissioned by global ratings and customer insights company Feefo.

The figure indicates the need for estate agents to adjust to this trend if they are to attract new business from younger generations. However, trust in reviews remains a major issue, with only one in ten stating that they completely trust the reviews they read.

“As the younger generations enter the property market, estate agents will be increasingly judged through online reviews,” said Matt West, CMO, Feefo. “Yet trust in the reviews themselves is evidently very important to these savvy consumers. Estate agents should therefore consider ways to guarantee that legitimate and transparent reviews are readily available to customers.”

Trust is important for 28 per cent of consumers when choosing an estate agent, with knowledge of the local market seen as the dominant factor by 42 per cent when they have their properties valued.

The value of trust is reflected strongly in younger consumers’ preference of selecting an agent through its reviews, with 70 per cent of 25-34-year-olds relying on reviews when selecting an agent.

The research also reveals that consumers have more positive attitudes towards estate agents than commonly supposed, with 88 per cent saying they were satisfied with the service they received from the last agent they used.

View and download the report: https://en.business.feefo.com/ resources/whitepapers/ property-research-report