Sell your house on your own or use a real estate agent? This is a question that troubles many homeowners looking to put their property on the market. Indeed, this process is far from straightforward and requires expertise to ensure the transaction goes smoothly.
Entrusting the sale of your property to a real estate agent remains the safest and most effective solution. In this article, your EASY Estate real estate agency explains why you should ask a real estate agent to sell your house.
What Is a Real Estate Agent?
Being a real estate agent isn’t something you improvise! It requires professional skills, knowledge and specific abilities.
A Real Estate Market Professional
Being a real estate agent is a profession. They are a licensed professional with expertise and in-depth knowledge of the property market. Their mission is to facilitate the sale or rental of a property by connecting sellers or landlords with potential buyers or tenants. Alongside this key role, they also search for and value properties.
A Regulated Profession
In Belgium, the real estate agent profession is regulated. As a self-employed agent, they must have completed training and an internship to obtain accreditation from the IPI, the Professional Institute of Real Estate Agents.
As an employee of a real estate agency, they do not need to hold this accreditation themselves, provided the person they work for holds it. In this case, the non-accredited agent works under that person’s responsibility and must, of course, have the knowledge and expertise required to practise.
5 Good Reasons to Use a Real Estate Agent
A Thorough Knowledge of the Local Property Market
Real estate agents work in the field. They generally operate in a specific area. They search for, value, sell and rent properties in one or more specific regions.
Agents therefore have excellent knowledge of the local property market in their region, the factors that influence it, current trends in the sector, and so on. They can accurately assess the price of a property compared with other properties in the area, sell it at the best price, and give strategic advice based on the reality on the ground.
Selling Your Property at the Best Price
Among their various skills, a real estate agent can provide an objective estimate of a house’s value based on different criteria: location, size, number of rooms, overall condition of the house, and so on. Homeowners, on the other hand, tend to assess the value of their property based on more subjective and emotional criteria.
Thanks to a solid understanding of your property’s value, a real estate agent can also negotiate the price more effectively with a potential buyer. Because they act as a buffer during negotiations, you’re not pressured by the buyer. This helps you avoid decisions you might later regret and gives you a better chance of getting the best price for your house.
Saving Time and Effort
Selling your house on your own takes time! Between creating listings, viewings and administrative paperwork, the sales process is particularly time-consuming and stressful. With a real estate agent, this burden is no longer yours to carry. They manage the entire sales process from A to Z, from valuing your house to handling the documents needed for the sale.
Using a real estate agent therefore saves a great deal of time and lifts a huge weight off your shoulders. So when you give an agent a sales mandate, you keep control of your property, but you don’t have to promote it yourself, respond to interested parties, find the right buyer, plan and organise viewings, or handle paperwork… Your agent takes care of all that for you!
More Security and Peace of Mind
Selling a house or flat involves a series of complex legal and administrative procedures. To sell a property safely, you need to know the ropes in order to comply with the law!
Your agent makes sure every stage of your house sale complies with regulations. They check that you have all the documents required for the sale. They handle the legal documents and all administrative aspects before signing at the notary’s office. So you can sell your property with complete peace of mind!
Additional, Personalised Services
Some agents offer additional services depending on your needs and situation. During their training, they learn marketing strategies to sell your property and give it maximum visibility. Others work with consultants to provide advice on decoration and construction. Some of these services are included in their commission. At EASY Estate, for example, this includes obtaining the electrical compliance certificate and the energy certificate, taking photos, and listing the property for sale.
Depending on the agency, these professionals write listings, publish them on social media, take photos and videos, use drones, create 3D floor plans, offer home staging, give advice on renovation and construction techniques… In short, they can offer you a whole range of services to make your life easier and speed up the sale of your house or flat.
Choose EASY Estate to Sell Your Property
Want to sell your house or flat? Trust the agents at our EASY Estate real estate agency! Our professionals will help you sell your property as quickly as possible and at the best price in the province of Liège or the surrounding provinces!
