Once you have decided to sell, the first step in marketing your property is to choose a property practitioner..
The right practitioner will get you the best possible price in the shortest possible time - with the least inconvenience to everyone involved. Unfortunately, not all property practitioners achieve this. You need to take your time to find the right one for your needs.
Search
To find the right practitioner, you need to do some research on those working in your area. Ask for recommendations from friends and others with experience in property marketing in your neighbourhood.
Driving around the neighbourhood to see sales boards can also be a useful indicator of activity, but keep in mind that not all properties for sale display sale boards.
Once you have the names of a few practitioners, find out how active they are in your area and how long they have worked there. Ask to see a list of the stock they have for sale and one of their recent sales. Keep in mind that a large stock does not necessarily indicate activity.
Compare lists from several rival agencies, and check online property sites to see how much advertising they are doing.
Visit showhouses in your neighbourhood and see how competently the property practitioners are performing. Showhouse visits can reveal whether a property practitioner is skilled in dealing with potential buyers.
Questions
The following questions will help you decide whether a property practitioner is right for you:
- Ask to see the practitioner's qualifications and up-to-date fidelity fund certificates issued by the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority. Property practitioners may not legally operate without fidelity fund certificates. They should also have NQF4 certificates or evidence that they are in the process of qualifying for this.
- Ask how long the practitioner has been working. Also, ask how many local area listings he/she has, how long, on average, it takes to sell a home in your area and how this compares to the market average.
- Find out the average difference between listed and actual prices for properties sold.
- Is the property practitioner working full-time, or is this a part-time job?
- How many sales has he/she had in the last year – and in the last three months?
- What support structures from the agency head office or franchisor are in place to help the property practitioner?
- How many colleagues are assisting him/her in the job?
- What media advertising, electronic and website publicity will be put to use in marketing your property?
- Does the agency have access to a national referral network, or are they relying purely on their own efforts?
If you appoint the wrong property practitioner, you might find your property takes a very long time to sell. You might also find the practitioner brings low offers unrelated to your property's true value.
Use the guidelines listed above to find the right property practitioner.
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Writer: Sarah-Jane Meyer