As any professional who performs these tasks for aliving will tell you, doing a good job of them is alot harder than it looks. It's the same when it comes to real estate.
Here are five reasons why you should work with a real estate agent when selling your property:
TRAINED PROFESSIONALS
In New Zealand, realestate agents are regulated by the Real Estate Agents Authority (REA), an independent Crown entity that licenses people and companies working in the real estate industry. The REA sets the rules and professional standards for realestate agents, including a Code of Professional Conduct and Client Care that they must adhere to. Becoming an agent requires training and recognised qualifications, followed by supervision by senior and experienced peers. Licensed agents must also meet annual continuing education requirements.
SAVE TIME, MONEY AND HASSLE
Selling a property is a major under taking and if you already have a full time job you may not have the time to do it justice. When you sell a property by yourself, you are responsible for every last detail—devising a marketing plan, managing viewings and inspections, negotiating with prospective buyers and finalising all the paper work.You may think you will save money by not paying anagent's commission, but it's worth thinking about the cost of your own time (not to mention your stress levels). When you sell with a licensed real estate agent they are working for you and have your best interests at heart . An experienced agent can help you make all the decisions on the marketing and sale process, as well as find buyers and manage their inquiries.The agent can also advise what home improvements will add the greatest value to your sale price, based on their knowledge of what works.
KNOW THE PROCESS
Do you know what happens in a multi-offer situation? Could you judge whether your house is best sold at auction, or by tender? Licensed real estate agents know the best methods of sale to generate the greatest
return and value for your property at sale time, based on their experience and knowledge of sales and market conditions in your area. If your property is best served by an auction, for example, it's far better to get this managed by the experts than try to do it yourself.
KNOW THE MARKET
Buying and selling property often involves high levels of emotional stress—you might be buying a first home for a growing family, or selling because those circumstances have changed in ways you didn't expect. Buying a house is the
biggest financial transaction most people will ever make and the stakes are high. Working with a licensed real estate agent means you're sharing the load. A good agent will know your neighbourhood and understand the needs of the people who want to live there. They also often have arange of interested buyers they are working with.
LEVEL OF PROTECTION
No one enters in to a sale thinking that things are going to go wrong, but issues can often crop up. Licensed agents are expected to disclose any relevant information to ensure the transaction process is as stream lined and transparent as possible for buyers and sellers. If you use a licensed real estate agent to buy or sell your property, you'll have the benefit of their experience and greater legal protection. If you buy or sell a property privately, you may have fewer protections under the Consumer Guarantees Act and the Fair Trading Act if things go wrong. If you use an agent and you are unhappy with the agent's behaviour, you can contact the REA, where a team of mediators can work with you and the agent to resolve any issues. They can also help you follow through with a formal complaint, if appropriate. If you buy or sell privately the REA cannot help you to the same degree.
Check out the REA's free online public register of licensed reale state agents, and get more information about buying and selling property, atreaa.govt.nz.