Sell

Before your property hits the market, put on your buyer’s hat and take a good look around your home. And be tough on yourself!

That loose door handle you’ve stopped noticing? The dripping taps you’ve been meaning to fix? Buyers may notice them straight away. Taking care of smaller maintenance items before your first home open can help your property feel well cared for and prevent minor issues from becoming unnecessary distractions during the sale.

Not sure where to begin? Vivian’s has a comprehensive pre-sale maintenance checklist to help you work through your property room by room. Simply get in touch with our team and we’ll send you a copy.

You don’t get a second chance at a first impression, and in real estate that impression can happen before a buyer even steps through the front door.

Start from the street. Buyers will often drive past a property before deciding whether to attend a home open, so take a walk or drive past your own home and look at it through their eyes. Consider the gardens, entrance, windows, exterior and the path to the front door. If your property doesn’t have street frontage, focus on what buyers will experience as they approach and enter the home.

Inside, aim for clean, uncluttered and welcoming. You want buyers to look at the possibilities of the property rather than being distracted by everything in it.

There’s an old saying in real estate: you can’t sell a secret.

Great marketing isn’t simply about advertising a property. It’s about presenting it in the right way, in the right place, to the right buyers. Professional photography, video, online property portals, social media and targeted digital marketing can all play a part. Depending on the property and its likely buyer, traditional marketing such as local print and letterbox campaigns can still have a place too.

The right marketing mix won’t necessarily look the same for every property, which is why your campaign should be built around your home, your location and the buyers we’re trying to reach.

No two properties are exactly alike, so there’s no reason every property should be sold the same way. The right sales strategy will depend on your property, location, current market conditions and what you’re hoping to achieve. Private treaties, auctions and other methods of sale each have their place. What’s important is understanding why a particular strategy is being recommended and feeling completely comfortable with how it works.

Your agent should be able to explain the strategy clearly, talk you through how buyers are likely to respond and have a plan for adapting if the market tells us something different. At Vivian’s, we want you to understand the strategy just as well as we do.

Pricing is one of the most important conversations you’ll have when preparing to sell. Your property presentation and marketing may attract buyers, but the price also needs to encourage them to take that next step.

Before going to market, talk openly with your agent about recent comparable sales, current competition, buyer activity and where your property sits within the market. It’s also worth agreeing on what happens next. How will buyer feedback be assessed? When will you review the campaign? What will you do if the response is different from what you expected?

A good pricing strategy isn’t about simply choosing a number. It’s about understanding the market, listening to buyer feedback and making informed decisions throughout the campaign.

Selling your home isn’t just about choosing the agent who gives you the highest appraisal or the lowest fee. You’re choosing someone to represent your property, negotiate on your behalf and guide you through some important decisions.

Ask questions. Look at their recent results. Find out how well they know your area, how they’ll communicate with you and, importantly, whether you feel comfortable being completely open with them.

The right agent should have a clear plan for your property and be able to explain why they’re recommending it. Because when the offers start coming in, you want someone beside you who understands your goals and knows how to negotiate towards them.