Estate agents tend to get lumped together, and there are a lot of misconceptions around the industry, so today we are taking it upon ourselves to bust 5 of these myths and hopefully help you understand the estate agent world a little better!
1. All estate agents are the same
This one comes up pretty regularly. People assume as you are in the same industry you all have identical tactics for selling. Would you say the same thing about two shoes, clothing, or make-up brands for example? Companies may fall under the same umbrella; however, they all have completely different ways of marketing or selling and estate agents aren’t any different! You need to put a lot of thought and research into this because no two agents are the same and you need to find the best fit for you.
2. There are “best” times to sell your property
A quick google search will probably tell you that Spring is the best time to sell your property. There’s some truth to these articles, letting you know when the busiest times in the market are, however, this can be a blessing and a curse. Putting your property into a saturated market isn’t the best idea. You want your property to stand out and sell, not blend in and fade away.
3. Always go with the highest asking price
Highest doesn’t always mean best. In fact, it could be detrimental to the sale by putting people off if the asking price is too high. Getting a few valuations and understanding what the most common suggestion is or finding a happy average will always be the way forward. You want to get the best price for your property, not price yourself out of the market completely.
4. Agents will lie to get the sale
Any reputable agent will come with the facts and evidence to prove why their sales strategy is the best one for you. Whether that is analysing the market and coming up with accurate price points or statistics that show how their other properties are performing in the current market. It’s worth noting a lot of estate agents rely on word-of-mouth marketing too, so if they were untrustworthy, their reviews and recommendations would be a dead giveaway!
5. All DIY must be completed for the sale
You may be under the impression to sell your home everything needs to be in perfect condition. Now if your wallpaper is literally falling down…then yes, it might be worth getting this fixed. However, don’t rule out the option of lowering your price a little in order for the new buyers to complete the outstanding works. This will be very dependent on what is outstanding, but you may just find this works out cheaper for you in the long run!
Why not check out our Ten ways to transform your home on a budget blog for some budget-efficient ways to breathe new life into your property. Also, if this has inspired you to start looking for an agent, don’t forget, you can get a Free Valuation with us today!
By Emma Thomas