The rise in Wellington house listings and the fall in prices make choosing the right agent to sell your own home more important than ever.
“When marketing your home with more stock available, you want to make sure you are exposing your property as far and wide as you can — and also to the right part of the market,” Tommy’s Real Estate’s Chris Robinson says.
“Marketing your property can be expensive so you want to ensure that money is targeting the right areas and buyers.”
Fellow agent Alexia Stoddart says it’s critical an agent has proven negotiation skills “and the ability to combat any objections or obstacles the buyer might see.
“Having an agent that is fully informed on the house and understands the work the current owners have done on the property to inform the buyers is important — as buyers sometimes look at last sale price and what the current asking price is without knowing the large investment the vendor has made on the home.
“Having the whole Tommy’s team view your home, then contact the buyers they are working with is essential as well as a strategic marketing plan to ensure full exposure of your home.”
Chris believes Tommy’s team approach is one of the agency’s key distinctions.
“Having 40 agents in the city office and open communication between the Hutt Valley, Mana and Kapiti office, with further outreach to other offices around the country, means buyers looking for homes are well catered to.
“The day any new listing comes to market at Tommy’s, the 40 agents visit the home to ensure we know what it is we’re selling and as do our colleagues.
“In selling one-in-three homes across Wellington we meet the majority of the buyers — so it’s a great way to start the selling process to then get the home out to the agents’ database of buyers.”
“We also have exceptional photographers and all our agents go to their photo shoots to ensure everything is in place as the photos are extremely important in the marketing campaign,” Alexia points out.
“The Tommy’s team all working together and showing each other’s listings with our buyers is key.
“We encourage private viewings which allows the buyers to take their time and really get a feel for the home rather than a quick visit while rushing to many open homes on one day.”
Alexia says the agent who presents to you should be the one that runs the open homes and conducts the private viewings. “A private viewing allows the buyer to take time at the property and have their own space.”
What are the chief criteria sellers should consider when appraising agents to sell their home?
“That they are well informed of the current market conditions. They know the home and the area well and are committed to getting you the best outcome in the sale of your property,” Chris says.
He adds you should never choose an agent just because they have a lower commission rate.
In fact, in this market it’s more important than ever to make sure you’re getting value for money beyond the cheapest fee.
“You often get what you pay for. Choose an agent based on their skill set, communication and reputation,” he says.
“It’s important to have the best team of agents working together to get the best outcome and are committed to the job.”
Adds Alexia: “If an agent is prepared to discount their commission and the commission of their colleagues also working for you, then my question would be: ‘If they are prepared to give away their own money then, would they be prepared to give away yours when negotiating the sale price of your home?’
“Choose an agent on reputation and skill as choosing only on commission can cost you thousands on the sale of your home.”
She likens the relationship between a homeowner and their agent to a partnership.
“So you need to feel comfortable and confident you are choosing an agent that is committed to achieving a great outcome.
“Lastly, if the price the agent is telling you sounds too good to be true, then it probably is! “Ensure your agent has good comparable homes to show you when advising the potential sale price for your home.”
“Getting the right agent for your home is essential,” Chris says.
“With 40 agents within the city office and further agents in the Hutt Valley, Mana and Kapiti offices, Tommy’s has you completely covered.”
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