Choosing an Agent
You will probably never sell anything more valuable than your home.
While you may be tempted to save some money and go it alone, the best
advice you can take is to seek the help of an expert. That means finding
an agent you can trust to give you good advice and act in your best
interests. The value of obtaining a realistic price, using the most
efficient method of sale and selling your home sooner will far outweigh
the cost of employing a professional. So, what can you expect an agent
to do? In essence, they will: |
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- Provide a realistic market appraisal
- Advise on the best method of sale
- Decide on the most effective advertising and promotion
for your property
- Implement that advertising and promotion
- Advise on the presentation of your home to the public
- Bring the property before as many potential purchasers
as possible
- Protect your security by accompanying only genuine
purchasers into your home
- Present all offers
- Negotiate the best price with the purchaser
- Ensure all requirements in the official sale of
your home are fulfilled
- Be involved in the exchange and settlement as required
What should you look for when choosing an agent? You should seek advice
from at least three different agents. You want to know:
- How much they anticipate you would get for your home
- How much it will cost you to secure their services, and what specifically
is included in that cost
Each agent
will provide a quote on their commission fee and charges to sell your home.
Don't automatically choose the agent who quotes the lowest commission fee
and the highest selling price. Ask for the valuation to be substantiated.
What prices have similar properties recently been sold for? Find out exactly
what charges are involved and what your commission fee covers. Usually it
should cover the agent's time to promote and sell the house, the cost of
advertising and promotion and the administrative costs of the sale, but
get specifics. Open houses, for example, can be the most effective method
of promoting your home but they're also expensive for the agent. So find
out what forms of promotion you'll be getting-newspaper advertising, letterbox
drops, open houses-and why your agent has selected these methods. Remember,
like most things in life - you get what you pay for. Choosing an agent purely
on the fee that is charged may get you minimal service that jeopardizes
your opportunity of getting a sale "in the quickest possible time and at
the highest possible price".
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