Selling your property can be quite an emotional process: approaching sales advisors, agreeing on a selling price and finding a new home, all add to the stress. But by taking some basic measures you can remain relaxed and start preparing for your new home.
Hutchinson says sellers should ideally consider a sole or exclusive mandate, which maens that one agency is awarded the exclusive rights to the marketing and selling of your property.This is according to Craig Hutchison, CEO Engel & Völkers Southern Africa, who says that probably the most important aspect would be to approach a trustworthy local sales advisor from a reputable real estate company, preferably one with a long and successful track record in your suburb.
Such a sales advisor will be able to advise you of the most accurate initial marketing price because of their local knowledge and vast experience. They would also know the activities happening in the neighbourhood, and would want to ensure that you recommend them after the sale has been successfully concluded.
Hutchinson says sellers should ideally consider a sole or exclusive mandate, which means that one agency is awarded the exclusive rights to the marketing and selling of your property. You as a seller will get to know this sales advisor on a personal level and be able to trust them to provide you with a straightforward and successful sales process.
Also, you are assured of only having one sales advisor walking qualified clients through your property at a time that suits you, and this gives you the time to prepare your home for such a viewing. An exclusive mandate protects sellers from unknown buyers wandering through their home, he says.
As a seller you must realise that, by placing your property on the open market, you are inviting people to view it. This viewing could be by way of your sales advisor bringing a potential buyer through, personally, or perhaps during a show house when people may visit it at the same time.
Hutchinson says during this marketing period, you are urged to take steps to assure the safety of your valuables by keeping them safe and out of sight - ideally they should be locked in a safe or even stored off site until the property is sold.
Although the sales advisor will do their best to ensure the safety of your assets and personal belongings, they cannot be held responsible for any loss.
Show houses are successful in inviting buyers and matching them to a property, making this marketing activity essential for a successful marketing process, and must continue to take place, he says.
Internet listings attract many potential buyers, but at the end of the day, the buyer still, understandably, wants to view the property - sometimes more than once.
Hutchison says sellers are encouraged to protect their homes against theft during show house days, or even during one-on-one viewings, when a prospective buyer accompanies the sales advisor. You should discuss your security concerns and movable assets with your sales advisors, who will also be able to give input on what type of items need to be hidden away, locked in safes, or preferably taken off site.
Although a reputable sales advisor will screen their clients and walk through the property with them, it is still difficult to monitor each step. There are opportunists around every corner.
Items which are most targeted are cell phones, iPads, notebooks, wallets, jewellery and cameras.
Hutchinson shares his top tips to protect your home against theft during show house days:
- Sellers must not allow clients unauthorised access to their property without them being accompanied by the sales advisor. Always contact your sales advisor and inform them if a client contacted you directly, so that the sales advisor can liaise with the client to set up a viewing appointment at a mutually convenient time.
- Keep all your house and car keys, remotes and personal documents hidden during the viewing period, when there are clients wandering through your home.
- Be aware that one of the visitors to your home may have nefarious intentions and could actually be taking photos or a mental inventory of your security systems, albeit CCTV or other top-end security features, as they prowl through your home.
- Frequently check that all your security and alarm systems are working during the time of this marketing period. The fact that the property is on the market sometimes causes owners to relax and not test their security systems regularly because they are focused on the move to the new home and have become complacent in the current home, says Hutchison.
The bottom line is not to trust anybody, as sometimes the temptation for visitors with ill intentions can be just too much, especially when it is a smallish item that will fit into a pocket or slipped into a jacket.
Print
