How to sell your home

If you’re selling your home then you want to ensure you get the best price that the market will pay for it. It is very important to remain realistic even though you have an emotional attachment to your home and this is where the services of knowledgeable, reputable agents like GNF come in. Our knowledge of the local area, recent sales and the prices that are being reached can make selling your home stress-free. After all, it should be an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

If you’re a first-time vendor the following points will give you an idea about some of the decisions you have to make and the situations that may arise. And even if you’ve done it all before it’s always a handy reminder.

What method of sale is best?

The most common ways of selling a property are 'exclusive agency', (including sale by auction), 'sole agency' and 'open agency'.

Under an 'exclusive agency', you appoint one agent to sell your house (although they may agree to liaise with other agents with potential buyers). Your agent devises a marketing plan, organises the inspections and is responsible for reporting back to you.

Under a 'sole agency' you still appoint only one agent to sell your house although you, the principal, may sell the property privately without having to pay a fee to the agent.

Under an 'open agency', you appoint a number of real estate agents and only the one that sells it receives the commission. Although this may sound as though you are getting more comprehensive coverage, there are drawbacks. Remember real estate agencies are businesses and that they have to justify the time and effort put into each property. It is possible that this type of listing will not get as much effort put into it as the 'exclusive agency'. Also, remember that having more than one "for sale" sign out the front doesn't create a good impression because it makes the property look as though it's difficult to sell.

Approaches by other agents

If other agents approach you after you’ve appointed us to say they have buyers for your property and their commission rate is low what should you do? Ethical agents will not contact you once the signboard is up. The best advice we can give you is to ignore any approaches via direct mail and refer any phone calls to us. Nine times out of ten that’s the last you’ll hear.

Presenting your home

We know what buyers are looking for and can advise you on how best to present your home for sale. We can also tell you when it's worth spending money on repairs and when it's not. We will always call you as far in advance as possible to give you time to prepare for an inspection – remembering that first impressions really count.

Should you accept an early offer below the asking price?

By law, all offers – irrespective of price levels – must be submitted to you. But should you hold out for a higher price? In our experience, the best offers usually occur within the first few weeks of your property coming onto the market. This is because qualified buyers who have been looking for some time in the price range discover your property for the first time and fear losing out to someone else. However, vendors often say ‘No’ because they think it’s too quick and they are confident they will get another, better offer. History consistently relates numerous examples of vendors selling for far less than they were offered in the initial stages. Talk with us and discuss the options.

Why list with our Agency?

We have the latest in sales data to ensure our opinion is backed up in writing for you. Reputation is vital. Word of mouth in any service is so very important. If what you hear about an agent is glowing then talk to them. Having a strong client-agent relationship is very important, after all this person is handling possibly one of the most important transactions of your life.

Staying in touch

We’ll talk to you at least once a week but don’t hesitate to call us at any time for any reason.

Contact Us

Bangalow: 02 6687 2833

Casino: 02 6662 2500

Warwick: 07 4661 4644