Howards Estate Agents is a prominent estate and lettings agency operating in Norfolk and North Suffolk. Established in 1926, the company provides a comprehensive range of property services, including buying, selling, letting, and renting residential properties. With a focus on delivering straightforward advice and guidance, Howards aims to simplify the property journey for its clients.
Targeting both homeowners and tenants, Howards Estate Agents serves a diverse clientele, assisting thousands of individuals each year in navigating the real estate market. The company is dedicated to offering personalized service that meets the unique needs of its customers, ensuring a smooth and efficient experience in property transactions. Through its local expertise and commitment to customer care, Howards has become a trusted name in the estate agency sector.
Howards Estate Agents has a positive customer experience.
Howards Estate Agents receives a mix of feedback from customers, highlighting both commendable service and significant frustrations. Many reviewers praise the helpfulness and professionalism of the staff, particularly mentioning team members like Mia, Ayesha, and Evie for their prompt responses and support during the rental and buying processes.
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Customers appreciate the team's dedication, with several noting that they felt well-informed and supported throughout their transactions. However, a notable number of complaints focus on poor customer service experiences, particularly regarding communication issues and delays in response times. Some consumers express dissatisfaction with the handling of property conditions upon moving in, indicating a lack of attention to detail.
Each source counts by its number of reviews. Only reviews written by people are scored.
Rating, volume, share of the score, six-month trend and fake-review risk for each source
Source
Rating
Reviews
Weight
6-mo
Fake risk
★
Trustpilot
Imported Trustpilot reviews
3.7
59
100%
-0.2
● Low
3.7 / 5 overall
=
59 reviews across 1 scored source
How fake risk works ⓘ
Reputation trend
Monthly average rating from reviews written by people · latest review May 2025.
Last 3 months
4.0▼ 0.2
12-month avg
4.1
All-time
3.7
Category avg
4.3
Monthly averageCategory average
Monthly average rating and review count
Month
Average
Reviews
Jun 24
3.0
2
Jul 24
—
0
Aug 24
—
0
Sep 24
3.0
1
Oct 24
5.0
3
Nov 24
—
0
Dec 24
3.7
3
Jan 25
5.0
1
Feb 25
4.5
2
Mar 25
5.0
1
Apr 25
2.7
3
May 25
5.0
3
What people praise & complain about
Share of positive (4–5★) and negative (1–2★) reviews mentioning each topic · based on the 59 most recent reviews.
Top praiseof 40 positive reviews
Helpful support40%
16 mentions
Professionalism35%
14 mentions
Customer service20%
8 mentions
Friendly staff20%
8 mentions
“The whole team is super helpful”
On “Helpful support” · May 24, 2025
Top complaintsof 18 negative reviews
Customer service28%
5 mentions
Communication22%
4 mentions
Payment issues17%
3 mentions
Pricing17%
3 mentions
“Poor customer service”
On “Customer service” · Apr 25, 2025
How it compares
Same method for every company: overall rating, legitimacy checks, the average rating of reviews mentioning each area and the 6-month trend · Home & Garden.
Overall rating and review count for this company and similar companies
This is a fantastic company when looking for rented accommodation. The whole team is super helpful. Mia especially was so helpful, calling me whenever a house became available, and emailing propertie... See more
Having a minor issue with rental documentation Lara responded quickly in a professional manner resolving the problem, as a landlord of 14 years the service is first class.
I was speaking to a lovely lady called ayesha who was so helpful and very professional regarding my housing needs I just want to say this firm is so good and everybody I spoke to were very nice. I wo... See more
Poor customer service. Left 3 messages ,been trying to speak to the Gorleston office for 3 hours!. I would not trust them to sell for me or manage a rental.
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This is a fantastic company when looking for rented accommodation. The whole team is super helpful. Mia especially was so helpful, calling me whenever a house became available, and emailing properties. Would definitely use this company again, should I need to.
Having a minor issue with rental documentation Lara responded quickly in a professional manner resolving the problem, as a landlord of 14 years the service is first class.
I was speaking to a lovely lady called ayesha who was so helpful and very professional regarding my housing needs I just want to say this firm is so good and everybody I spoke to were very nice. I would recommend this firm to all my friends especially ayesha thank you so much
Poor customer service. Left 3 messages ,been trying to speak to the Gorleston office for 3 hours!. I would not trust them to sell for me or manage a rental.
We would like to thank Julius who showed us around two property’s today, he was prompt and very friendly and gave us all the information we needed. We requested another viewing which was arranged the same afternoon.
Very professional
A bit of an odd one.
I'd like to know why they are sending blind letters to folks living in terrace houses in Derby, for someone looking for a detached house in Bungay?
I don't think their advanced technology to help folks find properly is working!
Mia Gore @ Howard’s Lettings Amazing & Professional
I cannot recommend Howard’s Estate agents highly enough but especially lettings lady Mia Gore, an absolute joy to communicate with, professional, quick to respond and have clear information as needed. I’ve actually dealt with Howard’s before and know in asking their service would receive nothing but the best . I am giving Mia Gore highest praise as a true ambassador for the Howard’s group of Eatate agents. My partner and I are looking forward to completing our search now with Mia’s assistance. There are estate agents and then there is Mia at HOWARDS …….. Thank You !!
Recently sold and purchased for my mum through Howard’s and they have been fantastic from start to finish . Maddie and Evie at Great Yarmouth branch and Sophie at the Gorleston branch all helped resolve any queries and response to my calls everyday sometimes was helpful and kind . They made a difficult situation much better after having to move mum closer to me selling her home of 45 years. Respectful, professional and lovely staff thank you so much .
Recently purchased a bungalow through Howard’s Lowestoft and dealt with Georgia.
I can only express high praise, she was very helpful and bubbly which made the experience a lot easier, but also very prompt at getting back via phone or email which can normally be a stressful process with estate agents.
Can’t recommend dealing with Georgia and Howard’s enough. Brilliant!!
We had a nightmare experience selling/buying it wouldn’t have gone through but for the professionalism of Howards in Yarmouth and in particular Evie and Sam who as well as doing their own job covered for the useless solicitors, thank you Evie and Sam.
I recently purchased a house in Suffolk and needed an agent to manage it for me. So i contacted 10 agents in the Suffolk/Norfolk area to sound them out regarding my needs. The response i got was mixed, Howards stood out though. The engagement and efforts made by Chris & Ayesha simplified the whole process and delivered a quality service to me at great value. I would recommend them both and the wider Howards team without hesitation.
Would give 0 stars but cant.
Where to start? We moved into £1250/pcm property with the understanding that the property would be clean before we moved in and some minor remedial works done, walls cleaned, holes filled etc. I collected the keys from the Lowestoft office and was told they had "only just" found a leak in the roof in the conservatory and it would need to be repaired but were we happy to move in. As we needed to move into our new property we agreed. We moved into the property and found rubbish under the bed and in the cupboards in the master bedroom, the walls were unclean and holes in the property walls throughout the house from old fixings/screws which had not been remedied.
There was an infestation of flies in the attic which had clearly been present for some time, I will commend Howard’s that this was actioned quickly and the problem has not returned.
The "repairs" to the roof were taking a long time after being chased several times until a few months later i return home and to my surprise, scaffolding had been erected in the back garden, without any knowledge of this, I assumed someone had entered the property without permission and done this. I was then told that the contractor didn't enter the house at all but instead climbed over the back gate to let himself in. (this is either trespassing or a direct breach of the Housing Act 1988, depending on whether this was instructed or not, we were not informed and someone entered the property without prior notice or permission).
The repairs commenced and I assumed all was fine, I would usually look over the mess left by the contractors, cigarette butts, the broken pieces of tiles, screws and other sharps objects, but I have a 2-year-old child and it's not ideal.
Howard's asked to do a property viewing which we happily obliged to, and I informed the estate agent visiting that the house alarm was beeping on a low battery warning and this needed replacing, this has still not been completed, months later.
And. It. Is. Still. Beeping. Constantly.
I was then emailed by a gentleman to inform me that my contract was going to be ending a month earlier than my tenancy agreement said, and the landlords had asked for an increase to the rent. As i was confused at why my tenancy was ending earlier (in December, not end of January) I asked him to confirm the dates in my tenancy agreement. He then replied stating my contract was not due to end until May! an additional 4 months to my original tenancy agreement! He then informed me he would be in touch in April. I replied to ask for details on my tenancy agreement and was ignored.
We were asked to permit a member of the Howard's team into the home "for 5 minutes for a quick walk around and a valuation" which again we happily obliged to. A member of the Howard's team arrived with the Landlord (which wasn't agreed) and asked to take photographs. Like many family homes, we have photographs and sentimental items on display in our home which we would not want on a property listing so we asked to rearrange to make the house "photo ready" (we have a 2-year-old, it’s not going to be photo ready for a sales website without prior warning).
I had a phone call with someone and booked the following Thursday off work and we were anticipating the Howard's team and landlord to come to the property to take photos and no-one arrived.
Now the weather has changed, the roof which was "repaired" is now leaking into the house again, onto my table.
The beep is still beeping.
And to top it off today i received a phone call today to inform me that my account was in arrears on rental payments and that I owed £75 to Howard's. It appears they have increased the agreed rental price without our consent as our usual direct debit to Howard's meant the full balance was unpaid and it went to collections. Even though i had provided a statement in writing of our intention to leave the property at the end of our tenancy, the rental price was increased, and our account is now in “arrears.”
I apologised profusely to Winnie on the phone as I explained my frustrations to her but at this point it’s being ongoing since the start of our tenancy. I am speechless.
I would like to thank ayesha from howards lowestoft branch for all her help in getting me and my little girl our house, she was very helpful polite got things done when asked an overall lovely lady 😊
I am in the early stages of buying a property through Howards, Lowestoft. I am very pleased with their service and Lily in particular who has been extremely helpful to me. She is a very pleasant and professional young lady.
If? You want an honest opinion just ask for Mike.
He is so straightforward.
Talked himself and us out of a sale for a multitude of reasons, albeit he loved our cottage. Mike you were right.
As for funny, well you had me still laughing after you'd left.
Many thanks talk next year.
Kindest
Mr & Mrs Lincoln.
On a positive note they will undoubtedly sell your house, which is their sole purpose after all, however in my opinion the experience was like selling a used car on eBay - the sale price doesn't matter as long as it sells (so they get paid their all important commission). Also, their aftersales and partner solicitor firm were decidedly pedestrian. I wouldn't recommend them or be in a hurry to use them again.
Jannette and the team was an absolute pleasure to work with throughout the sale of our property.
They dealt with myself and my ex in a very professional manner kept us both informed about where we were in the process and next steps. It was a difficult situation but they made the whole process so much easier and kept working hard from the launch day to the sale .
Couldn’t have wishes for a better Estate Agent.
Would definitely recommend to an anyone to use them .
Can’t thank them all enough.
Not an estate agent I would recommend. They are obviously desperate for property as they seem to think mail shots declaring that they have a purchaser for you property are a good idea. I don't appreciate continually receiving letters from Howards telling me they have a purchaser for my house. If I wish to sell my property I would approach an estate agent of my choice and I can guarantee it will not be Howards Estate agents.
Disgusting treatment by rude, arrogant staff member
What an absolutely awful experience!
Phoned to make an appointment for my mother to view a property and agreed to a time of 2.45pm.
Had a message to confirm that time. The next day had another message to confirm a different time of 2.30pm. My mother phoned the office to say she would not be able to make that and would be nearer the original time (2.45pm) as 1st agreed. Was basically told "great see you then" immediately got another message confirming the wrong time of 2.30pm but as she had just phoned to say she would be there nearer the 2.45 original slot did not think she needed to phone again.
Day of viewing - Our builder tuned up at 2.25pm he did not see anyone enter or leave the building. We turned up at 2.40pm and no one was there. My mother is 80 and has mobility issues. After an hour stood waiting outside the property in the cold & 4 phone calls to try and find out what was happening it was clear no one was coming.
We were then told the appointment was booked for 2.30 and we did not call to tell tell them we were delayed!? WHAT? What delay? This had already been discussed. My mother said she would be there near the original 2.45pm agreed time.
A young man called Charlie turned up, my mother is upset and trying to explain how let down she feels. He disregards it and says "you are being rather aggressive, I don't have to show you the property"
We do get to view the property but then Charlie makes it clear he is doing us a favour as he should have left off work and that he has gone above and beyond!
It's then we learn there has been an open house all day. We were not informed this was being viewed as an open house when booking and believed we were having an ordinary viewing, my mother had wanted as little hassle as possible.
My mother puts in an offer but is told due to open viewings people will be making closed offers. Disappointed but ok fine.
She phones on the Monday to find out what the situation is with offers. Speaking to a team member called Georgia Lee in the Lowestoft branch. My mother is told there are more open house views and lots of offers. Is spoken down to, spoken over, blamed for not showing up at 2.30pm and by the end of call is in tears and shaken.
I call, get through to switch board. Explain what has happened and that the treatment my mother received was completely unacceptable and the lady I spoke to was brilliant, listened, was apologetic, we had a good conversation, she agreed our treatment was inappropriate and contacted Georgia. Georgia phones me but unable to take her call I receive a message. A very jovial message, completely tone deaf of the concerns raised, seemingly oblivious to her unprofessional conduct with what seems like no self awareness.
I call her back to ask her how and why she managed to upset my mother to such a degree and try to explain the stress Howards have caused because of the mess up on the appointment times. Georgia immediately says "well I don't know why your mother would be upset" (No Georgia, that's because you seem to have a distinct inability to reflect or take accountability). She will not let me speak, keeps blaming us for not informing them we were delayed (See info prior re: phone call my mother made)
Spoke over me, accused me of speaking over her and shouting. "Well, you know what Georgia...how about listening to the customer!" She displayed no interest, was condescending, rude, and was completely disinterested to hear or understand what I was trying to say. She said she didn't understand the purpose of the call.
NEVER have I had to deal with such a rude and disrespectful salesperson. Treating a potential customer like this is unacceptable. Shifting blame, re writing the history of events.
Disgusted.
I was assured the calls are recorded. I hope to goodness they are scrutinised and used for training purposes of how to never speak to a customer.
Absolutely would not deal with this woman or the company again. What should have been potentially a quick hassle free easy sale has been a nightmare from the start and that was just for a viewing!
I see on the reviews this is not the first time her obnoxious behaviour has been flagged.
Quite honestly if she was a member of my team, she would be put through a disciplinary process and put on effective communication and customer relations training.
Her arrogance was off the charts.
Then on the Monday I was phoned by the Manager Mike Smith who did admit there had been a confusion with the viewing times but did not apologise. He said he was quite happy with the way Georgia dealt with me and my mother.
Shocking! When asked if he would be happy for my phone call to be used as a great example of customer service he said he is very happy with staff training and conduct in his office. Something is very wrong if a manager green lights a staff member speaking to customers the way Georgia Lee did.
Howards Estate Agents is a prominent estate and lettings agency operating in Norfolk and North Suffolk. Established in 1926, the company provides a comprehensive range of property services, including buying, selling, letting, and renting residential properties. With a focus on delivering straightforward advice and guidance, Howards aims to simplify the property journey for its clients.
Targeting both homeowners and tenants, Howards Estate Agents serves a diverse clientele, assisting thousands of individuals each year in navigating the real estate market. The company is dedicated to offering personalized service that meets the unique needs of its customers, ensuring a smooth and efficient experience in property transactions. Through its local expertise and commitment to customer care, Howards has become a trusted name in the estate agency sector.