In the current buyers market it is important to have a plan in place for selling your home. This 5 step guide for first-time sellers will help you sell your property.
Nowadays, anyone with a smartphone and internet access can become a salesman. But, selling a home is slightly more complicated than selling an old sofa on a Facebook group. Here to simplify the process, Adrian Goslett, Regional Director and CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, provides his step-by-step advice for first-time sellers.
Guide for property sellers
Step 1: Get Realistic Valuations on your Home
“You can’t sell without a price. All estate agents are happy to provide this assessment for you. But, not all agents will provide realistic valuations. The key is to find an agent who knows your area well and can tell you what properties in your area have sold for – not just what they’re marketed at. At RE/MAX, we have no hot air – well, except for our balloon. Our agents will tell you what you need to know and not just what you want to hear.”
Step 2: Choose a Reliable Agent
“step two involves sifting through the valuations and deciding with whom to partner in selling your home. The basis for this decision can be summed up in three words: good, trust, and care. Choose somebody who you know is the best at what they do, who is trustworthy, and who cares about your needs. Statistically, RE/MAX agents sell more real estate than any other agency in South Africa. The other two characteristics are harder to prove, and can only really be discerned through face-to-face interactions. We suggest you meet face-to-face with some agents before deciding who you will work best with.”
Step 3: Customise your Marketing Plan
“After choosing an agent, the marketing begins. The needs of each seller are unique, so don’t allow yourself to get pigeonholed into a cookie cutter marketing plan. At RE/MAX, you get to talk to your agent about how you want your home marketed. Our agents will advise you, but it’s your call whether marketing will include social media posts, multiple listing portals, global websites and the lot – all of which are made available to you when you choose to list with RE/MAX.”
Step 4: Accepting the Right Offer
“At this point, you’re at the home stretch. If you’ve chosen the correct agent, it’s likely that you will receive more than just one offer on your property. A good agent will then negotiate the best deal on your behalf and, after signing your preferred offer, will help you navigate through the rest of the paperwork with minimal fuss.”
Step 5: Make a knowledgeable friend
“Even after your home is sold, you never know when you’re going to need real estate advice. Good estate agents can offer a wealth of useful information, from referring a reliable plumber to suggesting a great spot to invest in a holiday home. At RE/MAX, we stay in touch with you long after the sale of your home, because we believe in creating clients for life.” “The key point through all of this is to get step 2 correct. If you’ve chosen a good agent, the rest of the steps will largely fall into the responsibility of the agent who will keep you informed every step of the way. Take your time choosing an agent, because the ease and success of the rest of the process hinges around this decision,” Goslett concludes.
