Understanding the Selling Process
Selling your home can seem complicated, especially if you are new to selling. Here are 8 tips to help you understand the selling process:
The critical decision is which agent you might engage and to this end, it is a very good idea to perhaps attend some open inspections with various agents to get a sense of their presentation and manner. Of course, this does not tell you how they interact with the vendor (because sadly, some don’t at all), but it does give you an initial impression.
Ask around with friends and family who they might have engaged and whether they really received the service and regular feedback that they might have expected (because sadly the feedback can be very sparse).
Be aware that many agents will inflate the price of the property as a means of getting the listing.
The more properties an agent has on the market at any one time may well mean that they have less time and energy available for you.
All agents will present well initially so it is important to ask for testimonials and recent sales to really see what vendors have thought of the process and if privacy arguments prevent them giving you such information, then you can simply trace the recent sales yourself via the internet or press.
The real key is whether you believe that you can trust the agent with your major asset. Can you relate well to them? Do they really listen to you or are they doing most of the talking? Do they ask you questions to understand your point of view or are they intent on giving their spiel.
Check the advertising and marketing fees to ensure that you are not paying for them to advertise their agency or business rather than your property. In other words, do they intend to charge you for large print adverts or list it as a premier property which only really serves to enhance their agency? Research shows that neither of these methods generate any more enquiries from prospective clients.
Ask how the agent is going to enhance your property and look after it during the campaign. Be aware that numerous agents will want to stage your property with additional furniture and goods which only adds to your costs and expenses. This is not necessary in that an agent should be able to show the property by simply using what the vendor has to the best advantage or even perhaps show the house empty (which can also be an advantage because prospective buyers can more easily envisage their own furniture and goods in the property).