Step 2: Save Money by Cutting Out the Middleman

Not only can buying and selling a home be a costly business, it can also be a very time-consuming and challenging process. It can, in fact, be so much of a challenge that many people won’t even attempt it alone. Instead, they hand over the whole process to a third party, a real estate agent, to deal with everything on their behalf. A homeowner will ask them to sell their property while a buyer will want them to find something suitable.
Is this a good idea? Well it does, undeniably, cut out a lot of hassle and leave you free to get on with other things. However, agents don’t work for free and a seller can pay a lot of money for the service. Anything up to 6% on the selling price, which amounts to €30,000 on a €500,000 property. So, if you’re selling a property, there’s a considerable saving to be made if you handle things yourself. As a property buyer, there are distinct advantages in dealing directly with the seller.
Direct sellers can certainly do the job cheaper but may also be able to push the sale through quicker and more smoothly. The role of a agent, after all, is to act as an intermediary between the seller and the buyer. Providing you can commit some time and effort to finding the right property and deal with a seller who is equally committed, there’s no reason why the whole process shouldn’t go well.

Direct Sellers Know Their Property

One big advantage the seller has over a real estate agency is that they know everything about their property. They can highlight all its good points to you. They’re also familiar with the neighbourhood and can point out the schools, the best shops, the community services and all the other amenities that are to hand in the area. They’re perfectly qualified to answer any questions that you have about the property or the locality. Above all, it’s their home and they’re enthusiastic about it so they should be able to do a better selling job than any agents.
Another advantage is that the seller is only responsible for the one property. Estate agents, by contrast, will have any number of real estate properties on their books and have to divide their time between them. If several homes require attention at the same time, some will inevitably go to the back of the queue. In the seller’s case, however, there’s only the one property and so there is no queue. So, anything coming through will be dealt with quicker and this may well mean the selling process completes much faster.
Since they are dealing with their own property, they have much more control of everything to do with the deal, including the asking price. They can move it up or down at will without needing to instruct others, authorise a change and wait for action. If they’re pushing for a quick sale, they can drop the price in an effort to attract buyers. And since they’ve no estate agent’s fees to pay, they can still end up making more money out of the deal despite you paying a cheaper price.
Selling a property has been made easier by real estate websites such as Mis-Sid. Here, a property is listed for free, with full control of the entry and management of viewings and offers online. For you as a buyer, there’s a wide range of properties you can search online and view the ones that interest you.