When selling an apartment or a house, the owner inevitably comes to an important question – to sell the property by himself or to seek services of a professional broker.
Selling real estate is likely the single largest financial transaction in anyone's life. Obviously, it’s significance is hard to overestimate. And it’s not a simple one, either. The whole process is a set of several distinctive elements and each and every one is essential. Mistakes or inaccuracies in any of them can prove costly. Nevertheless, studies and surveys tell that roughly half of residential property owners in Latvia still choose to sell their home on their own.
Is this approach reasonable? Everyone has their own arguments and everyone has a certain level of self-belief which can be higher or lower. But it’s all subjective. Does it actually match the reality? Is it even possible to give it a reality check before one embarks on the process?
We decided to try. To make a simple test which would be easy for everyone to accomplish. Without aiming for a scientific accuracy, but to help a person better understand all stages and components of a property sale transaction and evaluate their own chances.
The test
A simple one. It contains 8 parameters and the participant must evaluate themselves and their situation in each parameter with points from 1 to 5. After evaluation is finished, the points obtained are totalled and the sum is matched against respective assessment below. Give it a go and remember to be honest with yourself!
Evaluate your situation and your ability for each parameter and assign yourself points according to their value:
1 – will be difficult; 2 – I can try; 3 – might work out; 4 – I’m quite sure; 5 – easily
1. I can organize current property documents
Land register, inventory file, encumbrance plan, cadastral survey file, etc.
2. I can prepare a decent property presentation
Target audience selection, adequate property description, good quality and attractive photos
3. Ability to determine the market value of the property
Location, project, condition, infrastructure, encumbrances, etc.
4. I enjoy communicating with different people
Calls from interested parties, property visits, questions and inquiries during the transaction, psychological types, languages, etc.
5. I have the deal making skills
Buyer evaluation, price justification, refuting objections, reaching an agreement.
6. I can prepare a sales contract
Mandatory contract details, legal nuances, specific conditions of the transaction, deadlines, etc.
7. I am familiar with related taxes
Income tax, other related taxes, options and amounts.
8. I have time to manage the transaction through
Property presentation, calls, viewings, contract coordination, etc., possibly over several weeks or even months
Evaluation of results:
The sum of the points is from 8 to 20.
Critically high risk of either not achieving the sale at all or getting into serious trouble with potentially expensive and unpredictable consequences. Perhaps, you should abandon the idea of sale altogether or entrust the management of the transaction to a professional broker who has the skills, knowledge and abilities to achieve the desired result without incidents.
The sum of the points is from 21 to 27.
There are things that you can do well, but this also means there are areas where you will be going into unfamiliar territory. Look at the parameters which received the lowest values and what are the possible consequences of errors in the respective areas. Most likely, entrusting the transaction to a professional broker will pay off with a bang.
The sum of the points is from 28 to 35 and not a single parameter is valued below 3.
A good result to consider managing the transaction yourself. However, it may be that in some areas you are not quite that confident, or, perhaps, time is an issue. Professional’s advice may come in handy here. After a conversation with a pro, you can decide whether to do everything by yourself or rather hire an experienced and reliable broker to manage the whole thing for you, or to assist you in one or few separate stages of the process.
The sum of the points is from 36 to 40 and not a single parameter is valued below 4.
You have all the necessary qualities and knowledge to manage the sales transaction yourself and achieve a successful outcome. For you, it may even become an exciting and entertaining adventure. By the way, would you consider a career of a real estate broker?
Final comment
The purpose of this test is to indicate that process of selling a real estate property requires time and a good command of several very distinctive areas. Before the sale, the owner ought to assess with a sober eye his or her abilities and knowledge in each of these areas. And keep in mind that mistakes have real monetary costs, and they may have negative psychological effects. Evaluate your risks carefully. We wish you good luck and successful deals!