Questions to Ask at a Property Viewing

When I was an agent, we were trained to control the viewing conversation. Steer towards features. Deflect from problems. Keep things positive. Most buyers let us.

The buyers who got the best deals were the ones who asked good questions—and knew how to interpret the answers. Here's what to ask, and more importantly, what the responses actually tell you. According to The Property Ombudsman, agents must answer questions honestly about material property information. Understanding how agents hide things during viewings helps you ask questions that cut through the presentation. If this is your first viewing, our first viewing guide explains what to expect and how to manage the experience so you can focus on asking the right questions.

Questions About the Property

Start with the basics that establish facts. These questions have answers agents should give you straight.

"How long has it been on the market?" This is public information—they can't mislead you. Properties on market longer than 8-12 weeks suggest pricing issues, problems discovered in surveys, or difficult sellers. It's not necessarily bad, but it's leverage for negotiation.

"Has the price been reduced?" Again, public record. Price reductions signal motivation and suggest the original asking price was optimistic. Multiple reductions indicate genuine difficulty selling.

"Why is the seller moving?" This is the single most important question you can ask.

"What's included in the sale?" Get specifics: appliances, curtains, light fittings, garden furniture. Assumptions cause problems later. If you want something included, ask now.

"What are the running costs?" Council tax band, typical energy bills, service charges for flats. Sellers often have this information and agents should know the council tax band at minimum.

"When was the boiler last serviced?" A boiler service history suggests maintenance-minded owners. No service history raises questions about what else hasn't been maintained.

Questions About the Sale

Here's where you gather negotiating intelligence. What the agent is actually doing here is assessing you as a buyer while you're assessing the property.

"What's the seller's timeline?" Are they looking for quick completion or flexible on timing? This affects your offer strategy. A seller who needs to move in six weeks has different priorities than one still searching.

"Is the seller in a chain?" Chains add risk and time. A seller with no onward chain—perhaps moving to rental or already purchased—is a simpler transaction.

"Have there been other offers?" Agents must pass on all offers to the seller and must not lie about whether offers exist. But they can be vague about "interest" without technically being dishonest.

"What would make a strong offer?" This question often reveals more than directly asking about price. Agents can't tell you to offer less, but they CAN tell you what would strengthen your position—timing, chain status, flexibility. Understanding how to make an offer and your negotiation position helps you interpret these answers.

"Is the seller flexible on price?" Don't expect a straight yes, but the response tells you something. Immediate deflection suggests less flexibility. "They're motivated to sell" suggests more.

Questions About the Area

Local knowledge questions test how much the agent actually knows and can reveal things about the property location.

"What are the neighbours like?" Agents often know more than they volunteer. Listen for hesitation or overly careful wording.

"Is there anything planned nearby?" New developments, road changes, or building works affect the property's future. Agents may not know everything, but major planned developments should be on their radar.

"What's parking like?" If there's no dedicated parking, ask about street parking—particularly in the evenings when residents are home.

"Are there any issues with the building?" (for flats) This should surface major works, ongoing disputes, or management problems. Follow up with questions about the management company and recent communications with residents.

Questions for Leasehold Properties

Leasehold brings additional complexity. These questions matter.

"How many years are left on the lease?" Anything under 80 years affects mortgage availability and requires extending soon—which costs money. Under 70 years and you're into significant expense territory.

"What's the ground rent and does it escalate?" Some older leases have ground rents that double every decade or increase with inflation. Modern leases should have ground rent capped or set at zero.

"What's the current service charge?" Get the actual figure, not "it's reasonable." Check whether this includes buildings insurance and what's happened to the charge over recent years.

"Are any major works planned?" A new roof, lift replacement, or external redecorations can add thousands to your costs. The management company should have communicated any planned works to residents.

"Who manages the building?" Self-managed buildings run by residents can be excellent or chaotic. External management companies vary wildly in competence and cost.

Questions Agents Won't Answer Honestly

Let's be direct: some questions will get you scripted deflection rather than honest answers. This is standard practice, which doesn't make it right.

"What's wrong with it?" No agent will volunteer problems. They'll highlight positives and minimise negatives—that's their job.

"Is it overpriced?" They work for the seller. Even if they think yes, they won't tell you.

"Should I offer lower?" They're incentivised to achieve the highest price, not to help you pay less.

How to read between the lines: Pay attention to enthusiasm levels. Questions that generate confident, detailed answers are on solid ground. Questions met with vague reassurances or quick subject changes are worth probing further.

How to Ask Effectively

Timing matters. Don't fire questions at the start. Walk through, look around, let the agent do their introduction. Questions work better once you've seen the property and can reference specific things.

Mix casual and direct. Some questions work better as casual chat: "So why are they moving?" Others need directness: "Has the price been reduced, and if so, when?"

Follow up after. You don't have to ask everything at the viewing. Email follow-up questions are normal and give you written answers you can reference later.

Write down answers. Not everything, but key facts: time on market, reason for selling, their timeline. Your memory will blur this across multiple viewings.

Most agents aren't trying to deceive you. They're doing their job, following their training, meeting their targets. But their job is to sell the property, and your job is to buy wisely. Those goals align sometimes—and sometimes they don't.

Armed with these questions, you're not playing the game blind. You know what to ask, how to interpret responses, and where honest answers end and agent positioning begins.

That's not cynicism. That's just fairness.

Different property types—whether you're viewing a flat, a terraced house, or a detached home—may warrant different questions. For guidance on the specific questions that matter when comparing flats versus houses, see our dedicated guide.

Can estate agents lie about other offers?

Estate agents must not lie about offers—they're legally required to pass all offers to the seller and can face penalties for misrepresenting facts. However, they can be vague about "interest" without technically lying. Always ask for specifics: how many offers, how many viewings.

Should I tell the agent my budget?

Be cautious about sharing your maximum budget. If the property is listed at £300,000 and you mention you could stretch to £325,000, that information goes straight to the seller. Share that you have a mortgage in principle, but keep your upper limit to yourself.

What if the agent doesn't know the answer?

Legitimate not-knowing happens—agents don't have encyclopaedic knowledge of every property. Ask them to find out and follow up in writing. If they seem evasive rather than genuinely uncertain, note that for your own assessment.

Can I ask the seller questions directly?

Sometimes sellers attend viewings, especially in quieter markets. Direct questions to sellers can get more candid answers than asking agents—sellers often share more about the neighbourhood, their experience of the property, and their reasons for moving.