Selling a house or flat, let's face it, most of us don't do it every day. It is a special event, usually closing an era and at the same time marking the beginning of a new start in your life. You have every interest in preparing the sale meticulously, because a lot of money is involved. Consequently, there is a lot involved. Often more than you had thought beforehand. No coincidence, then, that the majority of sellers ultimately choose to be guided through the process by a professional and sell via an estate agent. Accredited estate agents are involved in property transactions on a daily basis and know exactly what to do to get the sale on the right track. They can play a key role in the smooth completion of a property transaction. Here are six good reasons why sellers with a broker have a serious edge over sellers who prefer a private transaction.
1. You can rely on a licensed real estate agent
In Belgium, professional estate agents who wish to practice their profession on a self-employed basis are compulsorily recognised by the IPI (Beroepsinstituut Vastgoedmakelaars). This recognition by the IPI gives you, the client, the guarantee that this is a trained professional. Moreover, recognised estate agents must comply with the IPI's deontological rules and general code of conduct. For you as a client, this is an extra guarantee that the estate agent is looking after your personal interests in a correct manner.
Thanks to his education and experience, a real estate agent is well aware of the obstacles, regulations, technical details and legal issues you will encounter as a seller. Informing yourself on the subject will benefit you anyway, but you will still benefit from the advice of a purebred professional who assists you with all his knowledge and experience.
2. A real estate agent sells faster and at a higher price
If you have already taken an option on a new home or even already signed the compromise, you would prefer not to procrastinate and complete the sale of your old home as soon as possible. You will save valuable time if you use a real estate agent because they act as an intermediary and are familiar with the administrative handling of the whole process between buyer and seller.
It has already been proven that properties sold through an estate agent sell faster than those sold between private individuals.
3. A property agent takes care of administration
The estate agent is responsible for everything to do with the sale of the property: good real estate photography, advertising the property on website, immosites, social media,... the having an EPC drawn up, making appointments with potential buyers and following up on those appointments. So bye bye administrative merry-go-round: you just wait for that phone call from your estate agent with news of your property's interest and possible sale.
4. A real estate agent knows the right sales and negotiation techniques
Not everyone has it in them to negotiate well and, as an ordinary consumer, you may also have little experience in doing so. Using the right negotiation tactics with potential buyers can quickly lead to a gain of thousands of euros. Worth the effort, right? The real estate agent is a born salesman and makes every effort to quickly find a good buyer for your property, as he obviously benefits financially himself.
5. A real estate agent has a wide network
The property agent builds on a wide network of interesting contacts in the real estate sector. The estate agent is a welcome guest at (sector) events and is a master at connecting with professionals in the sector, such as other estate agents, notaries, banks, etc. Each of these contacts is useful for selling your home as well and as quickly as possible and possibly taking out a bridging loan or additional loan for the purchase of a new home. At a favourable rate, of course, because your estate agent is a friend of these people with whom he works on a permanent basis. So if you sell through an estate agent, you are guaranteed to benefit from this wide network.
6. A real estate agent has a thorough knowledge of the local housing market
A real estate agent completes dozens of real estate transactions in his own region every month, so he knows the local housing market perfectly. So he knows better than anyone else which neighbourhood is on the rise, which streets have a less good image, current trends in regional real estate, the budget and wishes of each type of buyer,...
The estate agent is thus well placed to give you realistic advice on a feasible selling price as well as on the time frame in which the sale could take place. The estate agent's knowledge of the local market also puts him in an excellent position to make the most of selling your property and, of course, reap the benefits himself.
Of course, this list of advantages of selling through a real estate agent is not exhaustive. Buying or selling a house or flat through a real estate agent recognised by IPI offers you numerous other advantages. However, choose the right real estate agent because, just like any other profession, real estate agents have their own niche or specialisation, making one agent slightly less suitable than another for your specific real estate project. So be well informed, dare to ask questions and see if it clicks before deciding who you will eventually join forces with to sell your property!
