The process of selling a property can be long and tedious. This is why it is strongly recommended to surround yourself well when embarking on this project. A real estate agency will support you in the many stages of the sale of your home, which we detail here in 7 points.
Step 1: Estimation
The first step in a successful real estate sale is the valuation of your property. This is a crucial moment, because a bad estimate can lead to the failure of your sales project. This is the foundation on which the entire sales process rests, so it must be solid.
The best way to benefit from an accurate estimate is to call a professional. Not only is an officer trained in this type of act, but above all, he acts objectively. Indeed, the emotional attachment to the property can encourage you to overestimate it, which can be a real obstacle to selling. Conversely, an underestimate, caused by a lack of knowledge of the local real estate market for example, could send a negative a priori to potential buyers: hidden defects, peripheral problems that push you to sell at a low price (neighborhoods or noisy environment), etc.
A good estimate is based on several criteria such as the location, size of the property, appearance, construction and even history in the case of some prestigious properties.
Step 2: Listing
The listing itself involves several necessary steps to put all the chances on your side:
- Carry out mandatory diagnostics: energy performance, risk of exposure to lead and asbestos, natural and technological risks, soil pollution, verification of electrical and gas installations, etc.
- Enhance the property: carrying out work to restore the housing to an irreproachable condition for sale, cleaning, decluttering. You can call on a home staging professional if you are short on time.
- Gather the necessary documents : supporting documents of your identity, documents concerning the property for sale (notarial deed, property tax, work carried out, diagnostic file, etc.).
Step 3: real estate advertisement
Another essential step that should not be taken lightly, the ad can make the difference with people looking for a property to buy. Make sure that your ad is complete and detailed to help the future buyer to project. Focus on the positive and the strengths of your home, but don’t fall into one-upmanship. Overly laudatory terms and the abuse of superlatives could make potential buyers suspicious.
The key to the ad lies in taking quality photographs. They must be relevant, bright and highlight your property. Avoid blurry, dark shots and close-ups. Do not hesitate to call on a photographer for this step or a real estate agency that will take care of the whole process, guaranteeing the success of this project.
Step 4: real estate visits
The visit stage can be tricky depending on your degree of emotional involvement in the property you are selling. If you are not sufficiently detached, do not hesitate to leave the hand to a real estate agent. He will be able to demonstrate the necessary neutrality to highlight the property.
Before any visit, take a step back and put yourself in the shoes of a potential buyer. To project himself in his future home, a buyer must not have the impression that he is at home. You will therefore have to do a preliminary sorting in order to declutter the home of your visible personal belongings. The most difficult thing is to find the right compromise between “welcoming” and “impersonal”. Again, the opinion of the real estate agent can be decisive for the smooth running of the visits.
Step 5: negotiation
This is a turning point in the sales process. If you received an offer at the price, the sale is triggered. Otherwise, you enter the negotiation phase. Again, this step requires a certain know-how. It is advisable to entrust the negotiation to your real estate agent, if you are not familiar with this practice. On the one hand, he will again be able to manage this moment objectively, listening to the arguments of the potential buyer while defending yours. On the other hand, it will be good advice if it is for you to choose the best offer in case of multiple proposals.
Step 6: the promise to sell
Once the negotiation is over and the counter-proposal accepted, it is time to sign a promise or a sales agreement.
The promise to sell is a unilateral act. It only binds the seller, who then reserves the property to the future buyer. The latter must pay a capital allowance of more or less 10% of the value of the property. The buyer must then exercise the purchase option within a period previously set in the contract.
The sales agreement is, on the other hand, synallagmatic. This means that the seller and buyer are engaged at the same level. The buyer then has a withdrawal period of 10 days from the signing of the compromise. After this period, the sale is definitively launched.
Step 7: signing of the deed of sale
This is the last step in the sale of your property. The signing of the deed of sale must take place before a notary. The period between the signing of the compromise and that of the deed of sale is generally several months. This time allows all parties to take the necessary steps before finalizing the sale:
- obtaining a loan;
- obtaining a building permit;
- Carrying out work.
This period also allows the notary to check the conformity of the file, and if there is no right of pre-emption. This right obliges the seller of a property located on a community to sell to it in priority in the case of urban developments called “of general interest”.
As soon as the steps are completed and the deed of sale signed, the buyer proceeds to payment. Your sales project is now complete!
