Marketing your home with a professional real estate agent can make a difference to the outcome you achieve. Each property is a unique proposition and every vendor has individual requirements which must be catered for.
What is the role of a real estate agent?
Agents understand that buying or selling property is as much a matter of the heart as the head. Drawing on their vast property expertise and knowledge of your area an agent will:
- Provide a realistic indication of the value of your property.
- Help you decide whether to list the property for sale, put the property out to tender or to auction.
- Organise, attend and record prospective buyers at open for inspection days.
- Manage enquiries about your property.
- Provide access to more potential buyers via their own prospect database.
- Handle sale negotiations on your behalf and strive to achieve the best possible result.
- Advise on and coordinate the marketing of your property, including preparation of flyers, floor plans and photography.
- Prepare a professional advertising program for newspapers and online.
- Prepare a Contract of Sale.
- Provide guidance on conveyancing, legal and financial services.
Questions to ask when choosing an agent
You’re making a big financial decision and it’s essential that you develop a good partnership with your real estate agent.
Don’t hesitate to ask as many questions as you need to,
such as:
- How long have you been licensed to sell real estate?
- How long have you been active in our suburb or region?
- How much experience have you had in selling properties comparable to ours?
- How much did these properties sell for and when?
- What is your top and bottom estimate for the sale of our property?
- How much commission do you charge?
- Can you provide the details of a past client for us to contact?
- Can you provide an example of what the marketing schedule might look like?
- How much will advertising in newspapers and online cost?
Advertising your property
Advertising is crucial to maximising the amount of enquiry you get for your property and therefore the sales price. A well-balanced marketing schedule exposes your property to the widest possible audience, generating more enquiries and therefore more competition that will result in a higher sales price.
However, as advertising is usually the biggest single expense in the sales process, it’s important you understand the components of a marketing schedule and your agent’s advertising proposals.
We can also assist you if you are unsure how much to spend on your advertising.
Tip: Your real estate agent can increase the number of times your property is viewed on realestate.com.au by up to 10 times! Download our online advertising flyer and ask your agent for details about Feature Property and Guaranteed Top Spot advertising
Presenting your property
They say in property that location is everything, but when it comes to making a successful sale and maximising your property’s value, the name of the game is presentation.
From creating a welcoming ambience for open days and ensuring your photography presents your property in the best light to auction day action and a preparation checklist, we’ll show you how it’s done.
Good photography is as important as presenting your property well.
A photograph will often be the first impression a potential buyer will have of your house, and it can influence their decision to view it.
A few tips for better photographs:
Lights… action: Sounds obvious, but make sure the photos are good quality. If you decide to photograph it yourself, ensure the house is well lit with natural or electric light. A property shot late in the evening with interior lights on can look stunning.
Keep it clean: You don’t have to clean the whole house but photos have to be framed well. Make sure the rubbish/washing/dirty dishes/hanging wires are out of view before taking the shot.
Shoot to thrill: In addition to documenting the best features of your property, people will be thrilled to see a range of interior and exterior shots. And with digital photography it costs nothing to shoot and choose the best images later.
For such an important sale, always consider the benefits of using a Professional Photographer – they will ensure that your property looks its best to help you achieve the best possible result.
Checklist – Presenting your property
First impressions count, so it’s important to make sure your property looks its best from the moment it goes onto the market for sale.
And that doesn’t just mean a clean and tidy interior, it means ensuring the exterior is as presentable and attractive as you can make it, because many people will check a property out for the first time with a drive-by before deciding whether to inspect it on open days.
From fresh coffee brewing on open days to little touches like fresh flowers, there’s no shortage of ways to present your property in its best light and maximise your selling price.