Lancaster & Morecambe 01524 843322
Posted on Sunday, October 22, 2017
Maybe you now can see my viewpoint a little. As an estate agent, ideally your estate agent, we are here to sell your home. But it’s how we do it that’s important. We want you to feel happy, more than satisfied and for the whole experience to be a pleasurable one. If you are choosing an agent based upon who can give you the highest selling price or even the lowest fee, then I can tell you now we might not be the agent for you. If however, you are looking for an agent that will give you the highest level of service whose aim is to get the best price for you, in a time frame to suit you, then I say let's talk further.
First of all, you need to be able to work with your agent. Therefore you need to choose an agent you feel comfortable with. The way we see it is like this, we need to be able to work closely with you and you with us. Your home is your biggest asset. You need to feel it’s in good hands.
You might now be thinking but how do I choose, given the number of agents out there? To me that’s simple. Carry out a little research by asking friends, family and neighbours ( you’ll at least certainly find out who not to use! ). Look around to see who has the sold boards in your area. Check out the websites such as Rightmove and Zoopla to see agents presence and how they actually market homes. You’ll soon identify the agents that appeal to you.
Settling on a marketing price is probably the biggest decision you’ll make. You should invite a selection of agents to come in and value your property. You can also see from the land registry reports ( readily available on Rightmove and Zoopla ) what similar neighbouring properties have sold for. A good agent will be able to both demonstrate and justify their pricing strategy. Pitch too high and it all becomes a pointless exercise. Opting for a low fee agent may mean a low-level service and again cost you dearly in bad negotiations. Don’t be scared in asking your invited agents to explain to you how they have valued your home. Ask them for comparable properties.
I mentioned above that when it comes to selling your home, you have to be able to work closely with your agent. This is where good agents really come into their own. Home staging works. I’m not talking about the need to re-decorate or the need to go out and buy a new sofa. I’m talking about making the home both presentable for both photos and viewings.
Think about. Think about what you want to see when you go out and view. Think about why developers have show houses. It’s really simple. A bit of de-cluttering. A tidy up. Cleaning the carpets ( especially if you have pets ). Polish the windows so the light can stream in. Clean the kitchen worksurfaces, the toilet, the bathtub. De-weed the garden. Make the beds. It’s all common sense. It really is. But a good agent will advise you on all of this and more.
Feedback is essential. A good agent will give you the feedback from your viewing and not just the phrase “no-it wasn’t for them”. If somebody is not buying your house there is generally a reason. If these reasons repeat themselves you need to act on them. Do something about it. Or if it’s something you can’t change, your agent should look to revise the marketing.
I hope you’ve found this useful. If you’d like a chat at all about your home or how the market is performing, please free to call us on 01524 843322. My name is Michelle Gallagher and at JDG Estate Agents we are here to help you.
