Some people fail to understand that buying and selling a house is a complex business. Any fool can stick a ‘for sale’ sign up, put your property online and mail shot applicants masquerading as ‘serious buyers’. However, once a ‘buyer’ has stepped inside, that’s where the work starts and when you need a real person not some distant invisible online robot; even recognising a proper buyer from a time waster
The hard stuff isn’t getting the property noticed and seen by a wide audience. It’s not in the initial marketing or even in finding a buyer. Where your money in paying your agent’s commission is in the negotiation process; it’s that which requires experience, diplomacy and the voice of reason and objectivity. Never has it been truer to say that when you choose an agent, ‘you get what you pay for’.
Ensuring that the buyer really does have funds in place; that they are managed, guided and navigated through the difficult sales process. Above all, that your agent maintains communication with them from start to finish. That way, any blips, potential problems or major deal breakers are far more likely to be resolved before a small problem turns into a full blown crisis. Mountains and molehills and storms in tea cups spring to mind.
An experienced and knowledgeable agent will understand how to turn a negative into a positive, preventing problems arising from any number of possible problems – from service charges to leases that can be thrown up during the selling process. A good agent will pre-empt and anticipate a host of scenarios, problems and stumbling blocks, know how to calm the buyer, reassure the seller and keep the deal on track.
A capable agent will save you money by intercepting and dealing with issues before they finally end up on the solicitor’s desk – by which time your legal fees will escalate and the ‘cautious’ approach your solicitor feels duty bound to take can trigger what could have been an avoidable u-turn by your buyer, who, of course, disappears.
So when selling your biggest asset don’t look to the false economy of using a property portal or an online agent, recognise that paying an agent is a small price to pay to sell your old home and secure your new one.
Diligent agents are like guardian angels – so make sure that the only purple you spot is the colour of their tie!