Housing

Before meeting with an agent, do some background work to estimate the realistic selling price of your apartment. This is important as some agents may suggest an unrealistically high sales price in order to secure the assignment.

The real estate agency market is diverse. In light of this diversity, it is a good idea to have representatives from at least three agencies visit and assess your home - preferably from both large and small agencies. This also helps in setting the selling price.

Note that

• larger chains of agencies may not be able to give you highly personalised service. They tend to have more of an ”everyone sells everything” approach. Even if you sign a brokerage contract with a familiar agent, several different agents may take turns in taking prospective buyers to inspect the home. Offers may be received and transactions handled by someone other than the agent you are most familiar with
• the cheapest agency is not necessarily the best
• the agency who ”promises” the highest selling price for your apartment is not always the best either

When an agent comes to assess your home, consider the following criteria

• does the agent seem professional and reliable, do you get along well with him or her
• how realistic is the price estimated by the agent. The selling price of an apartment ultimately depends on the market, not the agent's promises
• the agent's familiarity with the area. Agents should be familiar with, for instance, the area's zoning
• in marketing the apartment, which media will be used, how, and with what frequency
• the commission

Avoid agents who

• have the attitude of a ”cheap-jack” promising the moon from the sky
• call you to secure a brokerage assignment even when your sales ad says ”Not for agents”
• promises an entirely unrealistic selling price
• tells you on the very first phone call that he has a certain buyer for the apartment

In addition to traditional real estate brokerage services, the market offers services designed to help homeowners sell their apartments themselves. There are various service packages on offer, or one may opt to only use an agent to prepare the deed of sale.

Carefully familiarise yourself with the contents, contract terms and prices of the service. New supplementary services, even when quite extensive in scope, may not necessarily follow the rules and legislation governing traditional real estate brokerage services.

Door-to-door selling must involve a door-to-door selling document

If a real estate agent advertises free-of-charge assessment and price estimation services and eventually a brokerage contract is signed at home, this is considered door-to-door selling and the customer must be supplied with a door-to-door selling document. This gives the customer 14 days to withdraw from the contract.