The sale of an apartment is a complex operation that requires some time and effort on our part. This is because, not only must we have availability to carry out the procedures that are needed to sell the apartment, but we also have to do everything possible to win over a buyer. For this reason, it is common to hire a real estate agency to handle the sale for us. But, as in all sectors, there are some companies that offer a better service than others. For this reason, before staying with an agency, we should carefully evaluate who we hire.
1. Check your Online Reputation
It is very important that, before hiring an agency, we do a little research on it, its track record and the reputation it has in the sector. In this way, we can know if the agency offers a quality service and if we are dealing with professionals.
To do this, we can look at the opinions that exist about the agency on the web. This can serve us not only to corroborate the degree of satisfaction that other customers have, but it can also warn us about possible bad practices. The experience of other users can be vital to know the quality of the service you provide.
In addition, we can also browse the announcements of other apartments that the agency has published on the real estate portals. This will give us an idea of the portfolio of clients you have, the time in which they manage to sell a house and the way in which they advertise a property.
2. Ask for a Detailed Explanation of the Services Including Fees
We must know exactly what we are going to pay for. For this reason, it is vital that we ask the agency in advance how they work and what services the commission or fee that we will pay for the intermediation includes.
For example, to know if they can make the visits for us or what documents they can manage on our behalf. In addition, we must be very clear about the conditions of the contract and its duration. Thus, we can avoid many inconveniences.
3. If he asks you for Exclusivity, make sure that the time is not Excessive
If the agency we want to work with asks us for exclusivity, we must ensure that the duration of this is prudential. In this sense, it is recommended that it ranges between three and six months, but in no case reaches a year.
We must bear in mind that if we sign an exclusivity contract we cannot sell the apartment with any other real estate agency. Therefore, if the term of the contract is a few months, if they cannot sell us the apartment in the desired time or we are not satisfied with the work they are doing, we will not have to wait long for the clause to expire and we can change of agency.
4. Be Suspicious if they give you a Very High Appraisal
One of the advantages of selling with a real estate agency is that they have a very broad knowledge of the area and the market. So your opinion can be very helpful when setting the sale price of our apartment.
However, it is important that we first investigate the market situation on our own. To do this, we can carry out several free online appraisals on the website of our home and compare them with the prices of apartments similar to ours for sale on real estate portals.
This way we will have a realistic idea in mind, so we will know if an agency is giving us a very high valuation just to attract us as clients. A real estate that decorates reality and that does not make us a realistic and justified analysis of the price at which we must sell cannot be very reliable.
5. Read the fine Print on the Custom Sheet before Signing
Finally, it is important that all the terms and conditions negotiated with the agency are reflected in the order sheet. For this reason, it is vital that we read the document carefully and make sure that it does not have a small print that we can ignore and that can later harm us.
If there is something that we do not understand or that is not clear to us, it is essential that we ask the real estate agency to clarify our doubts before stamping our signature and committing ourselves to the real estate agency in a contractual manner.