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In Scotland  many properties are sold by estate agents working within a firm of solicitors , originating from the traditional working practice of solicitors being involved with all the legal affairs of individuals or families. Often touted as a “one-stop shop”, the same firm deals with both the legal and marketing aspects of the sale of a property and is classed as a Solicitor Estate Agent (SEA).  

But is this the right fit for all? 

SPECIALISATION 

Property consultants are classed as non-solicitor estate agents (NSEAs) and often have specialist portfolios, in Galbraith’s case aspirational residential property, mainly in rural areas, along with country houses, farms estates, land and equestrian property. We have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of this market.  

SOLICITOR Communications 

The link of  SEAs with a solicitor is often falsely perceived as an advantage over  NSEAs who don’t deal with the legal aspect of the sale, but at Galbraith we have formed close professional relationships with solicitors and work in conjunction with them on all aspects of the sale, communicating throughout the process so everyone involved is kept informed of any new development, ensuring that matters  can progress quickly and smoothly and if any issues arise then these are  dealt with timeously. Galbraith provides a personal and individual approach to every client and depending on the type of property being marketed can recommend certain solicitors to use for the conveyancing process with reference to their particular area of expertise, for example crofting. Often solicitors with their own agencies refer the sale of their client’s property to Galbraith due to the nature of our portfolio, local knowledge and experience.  

COVERAGE & MARKETING  

A property consultant can offer superior coverage compared to a solicitor estate agent due to having a national presence and Galbraith has over 200 employees throughout Scotland and the north of England, and in addition we have access to diverse markets through our varied property based business streams and firm wide experience as property consultants, residential lettings specialists, land managers and expertise in valuations and development. Our extensive inter-office database of active purchasers allows our clients to present their property to the widest possible market and with high quality marketing material, including professional photography rather than the in-house production favoured by the SEAs.  

This database of active buyers is a key point of differentiation between a solicitor estate agent and a property consultant. 

RULES & REGS  

Buyers and sellers should be assured that both SEAs and NSEAs and all the professionals involved in a property sale are regulated by their membership organisations, be that the Law Society of Scotland or the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and all estate agents must belong to an approved redress scheme. SEAs and NSEAs are bound by the law of Scotland but NSEAs are not bound the Law Society of Scotland’s rules and guidelines. These can be rather restrictive in terms of when a seller can receive and accept an offer. A property consultancy can offer expert advice and negotiation by qualified agents, ensuring the best result for the seller.  

If you have a property to bring to the market, please give us a call. 

Thomas.Jones@GalbraithGroup.com