Selling Tips

Your agent has an extremely important role to play in your buying and selling process.

Firstly, he or she is highly trained and skilled in real estate knowledge, including the all-important areas of marketing, negotiation and finance.

Secondly, like a good shopkeeper your agent knows your area and all of the available stock and can quickly find the right property to suit a buyers needs.

Due to our large range of listings in all areas, many buyers contact us every month online, in response to advertisements, from signs, at home opens, other people selling and re-buying and through many other sources.
Using advanced systems and technology we are able to match this huge list of buyers to suitable properties including yours.

Although fees charged by agents do not vary to any great extent, skill levels and marketing resources can vary enormously.

The quality of an agents Internet presence will be a good guide as to how advanced their skills and services are in other areas.

We have provided the following tips and guides to assist you in the selling process:

About Real Estate Agents

The challenge is to locate and deal with a real estate agent with whom you not only feel comfortable but who can demonstrate and prove a number of attributes You need an Agent committed to selling your home with a minimum of fuss, for the best possible price and in the shortest possible time.  It is most important that you feel comfortable with the Agent and that they offer you the service you require.  You may be guided by recommendations of friends, family and/or neighbors.

The Property Appraisal 
We will provide you with an honest and professional estimate of what your property is worth in todays marketplace. We will do a lot of homework to ensure they appraisal is reliable including:

  • Checking the Valuer Generals and REIWA records to compare recent sales in your area.
  • Comparing your property with other similar properties for sale but remembering that asking price is rarely selling price.
  • Estimating the land value and replacement cost of your property.
  • Gauging the strength of the current market.
  • Gauging current supply and demand. Once all of the above is completed your professional written appraisal will be prepared.
    Whenever possible we will present the appraisal in person and explain the many influences that have been considered in its preparation  If there is more than one owner we recommend that all parties be present when our agent presents the appraisal so that nothing is lost in the passing on of important information

The Listing Agreement
The agent’s authority to sell your home must be in writing and signed by all parties pursuant to the Real Estate and Business Agents Act 1978.

We will outline the various types of listing agreements that are available and will recommend the most appropriate approach for your property.

Keeping in mind that you want your agent to fully commit all of his or her time and resources to achieving a great result for you, be prepared to grant a reasonable listing period of at least 90 to 120 days.

Preparing your Property For Sale 

The old retail adage goods well displayed are half sold, also holds good for real estate as does the saying theres no second chance for a first impression.

First appearances are important and this means the garden area, driveway, guttering, windows, window frames and other obvious areas should all be clean and in good condition.

The interior of the home should be neat and tidy and not cluttered with too much furniture for the size of the various rooms. Dishes should be washed, beds made and cupboards spring-cleaned (purchasers sometimes have a look). Make sure that blinds and curtains are open as buyers like light and bright homes.
Accept the advice of your agent on maintenance and other adjustments required before you offer the property for sale. This may avoid you wasting time and money and will ensure you maximise your selling price.

What’s Included in the Sale? 
It is normal for all fixtures and fittings (items which are screwed or nailed or permanently fixed to the property) to remain with the property. Some chattels (moveable items) including which carpets, curtains and light fittings are also generally included.

Failure to clearly list all of the chattels included in the sale price at the time of listing the property for sale, can result in a dispute with a purchaser later.

If you wish to retain any of the fixtures and fittings, such as your prize door chimes, or an expensive light fitting, then you should advise your agent accordingly and have these exclusions noted on the original Authority to Sell document. We strongly recommend that you replace or remove any items to be retained by you before placing the property on the market for sale; this will avoid any confusion at a later date.

It is recommended that the purchaser ask for a final inspection of the property prior to the settlement. At this inspection the inventory of chattels and fixtures and fittings which will remain with the property can be pointed out, room by room. In this way, both the vendor and the purchaser are satisfied that there are no contentious items to be disputed after the settlement has been finalised. Reticulation equipment (particularly if shared with adjoining owners), is a good example of a commonly overlooked item in the sale.

The For-Sale Board
The distinctive Geraldton Property Team for-sale photo sign is often called the 24-hour silent salesperson and our studies show that up to thirty percent of inquiry is influenced by the for-sale sign.
Further, if prospective buyers inquire as a result of seeing a for-sale board you can be confident that they already like the outside of the house and the location.

When the property is sold it is customary to place an Under Offer or Sold sticker on the sign until the property settlement is completed. The Sold sticker is self-explanatory, but an Under Offer sticker is used when a contract has been negotiated but is still subject to one or more conditions e.g. finance approval.

What price should I ask?
How much you decide to ask for your property will determine the number of potential buyers who are attracted to have a look and consequently the length of time it will take to sell.

Shorter time means a higher price The two most frequently asked buyer questions are, how much will they take and how long has it been on the market. The first question is a great opportunity for a good agent to invite an offer but the second question is always a curly one. When people ask how long a property has been for sale, it is usually because, the longer its been for sale, the less they think they will need to pay.

It has been proven that the best opportunity to achieve top price for your property is within the first 30 to 45 days.

Consider the Price Ranging option
Price ranging has been around now for some years. It is considered by many to be the fairest way for both seller and buyer to begin negotiations and it has proven to be a sure-fire method to create buyer competition and ultimately to achieve the best price possible for the property.

The pitfalls of traditional fixed price selling are that the seller will almost always get less than their asking price and many buyers never take a look because they dont think they are in with a chance. Keep in mind, history show that buyers usually spend between 5 and 10% more than they first planned. Its also a proven fact that buyers make their ultimate decision based on emotion rather than price. In other words, if they love it, they will find a way to buy it. Price ranging between the Top dollar price and the bargain basement price will ensure maximum interest and the best price. And NO, very few people start at the bottom. They will usually compare your property to others theyve seen and base their offer on where they think yours compares. Remember, they have got to see it before they will make an offer and price ranging entices them to have a look

For Sale by Public Auction
The main benefit of a public auction is that a time limit is placed on the negotiations and the resultant sale to the highest bidder is unconditional under the terms you have set. A minimum reserve price is your protection that the auctioneer will not sell the property too cheaply.

A public auction focuses an enormous amount of purchaser attention on your property and although sales are not always made on the day, a sale will usually result soon after to a purchaser who was introduced to the property by the advanced level of high quality and intensity marketing.

If your property has unique or individual benefits, is of unusual design, possesses characteristics which set it apart from others, or will appeal to neighbouring owners, then you should seriously consider a sale by public auction. We can advise you whether or not your property is suitable for auction or whether one of our other marketing strategies would be more suitable.

Showing the Property to Buyers
The general rule is to let your agent show the property without interference. Potential purchasers are usually happier if the owner is not present when they are inspecting the property.

Keep your pets under control and turn the radio or television volumes low when the agent arrives with customers to inspect.

If the weather is fine, perhaps you can move into the garden while the inspection is taking place. Buyers are conscious of the fact that they are invading your privacy and may rush the inspection if you are too close at hand. If is far better to leave them and your sales consultant to enjoy a relaxed stroll through your property so that they can get the true feel of it as their possible future home.

Home Opens
This has become an extremely popular way of presenting a property for sale to potential purchasers. Purchasers can inspect with the sales consultant in attendance, but without any obligation to start negotiations. Statistics show that around 9% of properties sell as a direct result of the home being opened for inspection. But many more sales result from the salesperson meeting the purchaser at another home open. The rule is, home opens work and work well so please allow and encourage them.

Your agent will always be present during an open house, to escort potential purchasers through the property and act as the caretaker in your absence. It is wise however, to lock away valuable items such as jewellery, money boxes, expensive ornaments, etc. Incidents of theft from properties being open for inspection are extremely rare, but it is nevertheless wise to remove these temptations from sight.

Be aware that smokers and pet owners will rarely smell odours to which they have become accustomed and it is usually too embarrassing for a third party (including your agent) to broach the subject.

A tip to make the home smell sweetly is to place a cinnamon stick in a heated oven for a short period prior to the home open or to bake a loaf of bread or a cake during the home open. A vase of flowers and the dining table set for a dinner party will also show off your property to its best advantage.

Negotiating with the Buyer
The best advice for sellers is to always negotiate through your real estate agent. In explanation, a potential purchaser will sometimes attempt to negotiate directly with the property vendor, perhaps to establish what is the lowest price you are prepared to take. It is wise to politely refer the purchaser back to the person you have appointed to act on your behalf.

Any agreement to purchase your property will be made in writing on the standard form and signed by the purchaser. Offers made verbally cannot be legally enforced and are therefore worthless.

When your agent arrives with the customers written offer, you should clarify every clause ensuring you completely understand what is proposed. You may then decide to accept the offer by signing in the space provided, or to counter the offer at a higher price that is acceptable to you. Inserting the new price on the contract and initialing the alteration usually achieves this. Your agent will then present your counter-offer back to the purchasers for their acceptance or rejection.

You should be aware that if the purchasers do not wish to accept your counter-offer, they can withdraw their original offer leaving you without a purchaser. Therefore your decision to counter the original offer at a higher price should be made with the clear understanding that you may run the risk of losing your purchaser altogether!

Handing Over the Keys
This event is more than a symbolic gesture because by handing over the keys to the property, the vendor hands over the physical possession of the property to the purchaser.

The keys to the property are usually handed over after final settlement, i.e. when the vendor has been notified that the transaction has been finalised by the settlement agent/solicitor and the settlement agent/solicitor is in receipt of the full purchase monies.

In practice, it is usual for the vendor and purchaser to make prior arrangements for the handing over of keys to coincide with their mutual arrangements for removalists and the like.