Bear Estate Agents Reviews 188

I initially tried to resolve this privately, but after Bear Lettings doubled down on a 'thorough investigation' that ignored all digital evidence, I feel it is my duty to warn other tenants. This was never about £200; it was about the principle of an agency falsely accusing a tenant of being 'dirty' while they were too lazy to even look at the move-in proof.
The Reality of their 'Service':

* Safety Breach: We were moved into a flat with a smoke alarm missing its batteries—a direct breach of the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Regulations 2015.
* Ignoring Proof: I sent a Dropbox link on day one (26/05/2025) showing move-in mold, grease, and the empty alarm. My digital logs prove Bear Lettings never even opened or downloaded the link, yet they claim to have 'investigated' our grievance.
* Predatory Guesswork: They pressured a tenant for a £200 'agreement' on 8th April. Their own documents show they didn’t have a quote until the 9th and no invoice until the 13th. They picked a number out of thin air and found a bill to match it later.
* The Only Positive: Jade Bacon was a credit to the firm; she stepped up to handle a move-in that the rest of the office was too unprepared to manage. They also eventually fixed a leaky tap after several attempts.

However, these small wins don't hide the fact that their 'professional investigation' is a fiction. They claim maintenance issues are 'resolved' when the door locks and alarms remain broken in the flat today. I’ve let them keep the £200 as a 'purchase price' for this warning. Any public shame is entirely their own doing.

Despite withholding £200, the agency has only provided an amateur-looking invoice and NO receipt. There is zero proof this money was actually paid to a professional cleaner rather than simply pocketed by the agent.

I have full digital proof of these claims, including time-stamped logs showing the agency ignored our evidence for 10 months. For full transparency, you can view the move-in photos (including the empty smoke alarm). Anyone can look at Google review.

We were trying to buy a property via Ellis in the Hockley branch, which sadly didn't happen, but wanted to sing his praises. Super helpful, knowledgeable and made himself free when it suited me - often well past 8pm. I would recommend him to anyone looking to sell / buy locally. Thanks Ellis for going above and beyond !!

We went through a more than usual stressful sale! and I wouldn’t have gotten through it without the professionalism and support from Helen at Bear! She went above and beyond and even when I nearly gave up she continued to support the situation. We got there in the end and I’m so grateful for all the hard work, commitment and perseverance Bear put in.

Previous sales/purchases with other agents have shown a stark comparison to what we have experienced with our recent purchase with BEAR in Leigh on sea.
Communication has often been poor and at times abrupt. We had to constantly prompt and chase for information and basically progressed the purchase ourselves. On collection of our keys it felt like a big anti climax…we were handed our key in a scrappy envelope..no card. On ALL of our other sales/purchases we received a card and even a bottle of wine.
We will not be recommending BEAR in Leigh. We would however recommend Hunt Roche in Thorpe Bay, they were absolutely excellent.

Great experience with Bear Estate Agents, especially Tilly who was brilliant throughout.

She was friendly, professional, and always kept me updated, making the whole process feel easy and stress-free. Nothing was ever too much trouble, and her communication was excellent from start to finish.

Would definitely recommend Bear, and a big thanks to Tilly for all her help!

They kept us informed throughout the whole buying process. They were very quick responding to our emails/calls. I would use their services again.

Megan and Wendy were very helpful throughout the process in both helping us sell our last home and purchase our new one. We will recommend Bear and their team to others looking to sell and buy in the area.

Professional, delivered what was agreed. Good people relationships. Worked with me as seller to accommodate and support viewers and purchaser to visit property. Fast interaction with correspondence and documents. Definately a company id use again.

I used Bear for sale and purchase, would 100% recommend. Their communication of what can be an extremely stressful time is exceptional which made it all easier. The whole team have been excellent throughout the process.

Bear estate agents handled the sale of my house and purchase of new home ... very professional all round from bear ... special mention for Wendy Baily, who handle the negotiations of the chain... very good , and great clarity as to what was going on in the chain, a true credit to bear.

After initially undervaluing our property, Bears recovered well and Tilly (after sales) was very helpful, patient and understanding.

Zoe was brilliant and guided and supported me through a very challenging move. I would recommend their customer care highly.

We sold and bought through Bear. They found us the right buyer and also, thanks to Meghan, found us the perfect house. Unfortunately due to problems in the chain it took 7 months to go through but Tilly was our absolute rock and kept it all going. We highly recommend Bear for your next sale/purchase. Thank you team ❤️

The staff at Bear estate agents in Southend couldn't have done more for me, especially Helen

Great service from start to finish very helpful all the way through the sale I would highly recommend them and will definitely be using them again,
Helen went above and beyond to dot the I and cross the ts with all the documents at the end
Very impressed

The purchase would not have completed if not for Helen at Bear Estate agents!!! She was in constant contact and chasing all solicitors in the chain. This was a very challenging purchase to get to completion. I am very grateful to Helen for her support and constant chasing along the chain. Well over and above what would be expected.

Good communication friendly team. Helen was great and kept us informed of all steps along the way. Very friendly and made the process easier. Thanks very much

The great part about using Bear Estate Agents was the service from the “ post offer” follow up team. I was selling a property. I dealt almost exclusively with Helen Wilson who did her very best to keep the deal together ( the chain broke down at one point) and to communicate. I called Helen numerous times and got through to her straight away. She was equally as responsive over email. When you are in the midst of selling/ buying the one thing I think is really important is feeling the estate agent is working for you and doing their best to get the deal over the line in a practical way. Good communication is key! I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Bear Estate Agents and Helen in particular.

I had heard nightmare stories about estate agents and the whole moving process, but that wasn't the case with Bear. I sold and bought with them and it all went so smoothly. From the first viewing with Rob (who was new to the job), to having my house valued with Frank and Marcos. Emily and Donna also helped but the best one was my Sales Progessor, Tilly, she was so on the ball. They work as a team and get the job done. I would highly recommend them. My son also used Bear. Placed on the market in Dec and sold in Feb. Brilliant. Thank you guys

We had such a great experience with this estate agents! The team were so helpful, friendly, and genuinely lovely to deal with from start to finish. Nothing was ever too much trouble, and they made the whole process feel easy and stress-free. We’re so grateful for all their support — highly recommend!