Cooperation Between a Real Estate Agent and Seller Must Be Open and Honest
The real estate sales process is far from as simple as it may seem to someone without experience selling real estate. Even before the property reaches real estate portals, quite a lot of work needs to be done. All documents related to the property must be reviewed and it must be verified who the legal owners of the property are and what their marital status is. It is also necessary to clarify whether any inheritance-related matters have been left unresolved, what possible restrictions and encumbrances exist, and if a representative is involved, to check the validity period and suitability of the authorization.
You shouldn't be afraid of a real estate agent – an agent helps find the best solution! However, cooperation runs most smoothly when the property owner is also open and honest and doesn't try to hide anything from the agent.
To achieve the best cooperation, we recommend the following:
Communicate openly and be honest
Provide an overview of the property for sale and briefly highlight its advantages and disadvantages. Hiding defects is the biggest mistake a seller can make! Often, what is considered a major problem turns out to be a minor issue that doesn't affect the transaction in any way.
Also answer questions concerning your personal life and marital status honestly: the agent is not asking for their own amusement, but rather to ensure that the sales process concludes as successfully as possible.
Get your documents in order
Check that documents related to the property – floor plans, building permit, renovation permit, usage agreement, servitude establishment contract, etc. – are in order and valid. Occasionally, situations arise where an inheritance certificate is missing, especially if it involves a will between spouses. It's not known that in such cases, the inheritance must also be opened at a notary. However, without an inheritance certificate, it is not possible to conclude a purchase-sale agreement.
The authorization must definitely be checked: does it cover all procedures that the authorized person plans to carry out, and is the limited-term authorization still valid.
Be flexible and tidy up your home
Try to show the property for sale to interested parties also in the evenings and on weekends, be always available by phone or call back at the first opportunity. If you don't want to show the property to interested parties yourself, then entrust the keys to the agent. Create a pleasant atmosphere for strangers there: clean up, put away unnecessary things, air out the rooms.
Buyers should also trust the agent. The fact that the agent is hired by the seller doesn't mean they are biased in any way. An agent's greatest joy is when both the seller and buyer are happy and satisfied after the transaction is completed.
