A professional agent should appear trustworthy, offer a marketing plan, and be willing to answer all your questions about the sale. A personal meeting is essential, as well as asking questions about how they will determine the price of your property.
Selling a property is a process that involves the transfer of assets and often significant financial transactions. In the past, and still today, such transactions can attract individuals with questionable intentions. Many people believe that all they need for a sale is a good purchase agreement and see no reason to pay a commission to a real estate agency. However, experience shows that selling a property without professional help often leads to numerous problems, financial loss, and even legal disputes.
Can a Real Estate Agent Help You?
Yes. Many people try to sell their property themselves. They simply take photos of their apartment or house with a smartphone and post them on public listing sites. These are often the same low-quality photos seen on free listings, which can appear untrustworthy. Due to low traffic and limited buyer interest, the owner eventually decides to contact a real estate agency. At this point, however, valuable time and potential profit may already be lost.
Don’t make this mistake. If you plan to sell your property, contact an agent from the start and request a service proposal. You will save time, minimize risk, and significantly increase the chance of selling your property at a higher price.
Personal Meeting
When choosing a real estate agency, it is important to know the region in which they operate. A simple way to find agencies is via the internet. Before the meeting, prepare questions for the agent. Remember, the first impression—how the agent presents themselves—is crucial. It gives you an idea of how they will market your property. A reliable agent will always provide clear answers and explain the entire sales or rental process.
Real Estate Agency Commission
A high commission is not always best, and a very low one can be suspicious. How do you know what is appropriate? Many people think a low commission is great because it saves them money on the sale, but the reality is often different.
Before determining the optimal commission, it is important to understand the costs involved in selling a property and what is included in the commission:
- Client Acquisition: online advertising (Google Ads, Facebook/Instagram), website and landing page creation, flyers, direct mail, local marketing, CRM systems and databases
- Property Preparation: professional photography, video/drone footage, home staging (furniture, decorations, styling), cleaning, minor repairs
- Property Marketing: paid listings on portals, highlighting and boosting ads, paid advertising, copywriting, graphics and visuals
- Agent Time and Work: client viewings, professional property presentation, communication (calls, emails), price negotiation, screening of potential buyers, coordination of the entire process
- Legal Services: preparation of brokerage agreements, reservation contracts, purchase contracts, submission for property registry, consultations with lawyers/notaries, professional legal support and advice
- Administration and Operations: office (rent, utilities), IT systems (CRM, software), accounting, transportation costs, phone, internet, archiving
If the commission is too low, the agency may cut costs, resulting in lower marketing reach and reduced quality of service. Quality comes at a price—a skilled agent with a fair commission provides more benefits, ultimately resulting in higher profit and a successful sale. A good agent will help you achieve your expected sale price. Today, commissions range from 3% to 6%, with the middle of this range generally being the ideal choice.
Conclusion
By choosing an agent and a real estate agency, you determine the direction of your property sale. Take sufficient time to find the right agency, ideally meeting with several agents. Based on these meetings, you can assess who appeared trustworthy, answered your questions, and has the right strategy. If you are considering a sale, do not hesitate to contact us.