The Ultimate Guide to Selling your Home in 2023

 

 

Our team

Our dynamic sales team appreciates just how lucky they are to live and work on the beautiful and fast-growing Capricorn Coast. 81% of all contracts negotiated by our sales team as of December 2022 have been for full list price or more.

@ Real Estate is committed to helping you achieve your dreams, whilst providing the highest standard of service.

 

 

 

Unique Sales Formula 

 

·      Consistently be proactive every step of the way resulting in more control and less hassle for you, the seller. 

 

·      Always provide clear and transparent communication and feedback, giving you the confidence to make important decisions.

 

·      Maximise buyer interest with industry leading digital marketing.

 

·      Individualised plan to strategically market your property, maximising perceived value to buyers.

 

·      Eager buyers receive exclusive access to new listings before they are opened to a wider audience, saving you time and money.

 

·      Detailed property information provided to keen buyers, giving them the confidence to pay more.

 

·      Weekly Vendor Reports, including buyer interest, online and in person, as well as genuine feedback.

 

·      Negotiate up not down.  Proven track record with 69% of contracts negotiated over the last 3 months be for full list price or more.

 

·      Demonstrated success with the highest number of realestate.com.au reviews of any agency based on the coast.

 

·      Time efficient sales process 

 

·      Outstanding high-quality photos and imagery, creating a lasting first impression.

 

 

What sale option is best for you? 

Option 1: OFF MARKET

As you know the real estate market is crazy and we have buyers coming out of my ears, we are selling many properties off-market with no advertising, and our sellers are over the moon with the prices we are achieving.  We are finding many homeowners are keen to make the most of current market conditions, but just don’t want the fuss, expense, or commitment of marketing / advertising their property for sale.  We have the perfect solution and it's super simple. 

Have you considered selling off market? This means no big expensive marketing campaign, no open homes, no need to worry about your property being for sale for a long time and looking stale, no fuss, and remember there’s no pressure to accept any offers you receive. 

We do suggest however getting some professional photos taken just so we can show our buyers when we are speaking to them. 

 

Professional Photography  (by Alicia Harvey - Real Property Photography)

• Professional Photos 

• Drone photos to show the location 

• 3D Floor Plan 

 

 

Option 2: CAMPAIGN TO BUILD COMPETITION 

Below is the proposed marketing plan and costs;

Professional Photography  (by Alicia Harvey - Real Property Photography)

• Professional Photos 

• Drone photos to show the location 

• 3D Floor Plan 

 

Pre-Launch

Exclusive, early listing access to eager buyers before opening to a wider audience. Giving you the best chance of selling for the highest price, without expensive marketing.

• Domain Early Access.

• Featuring your property on our website (which has been recognized by the REIQ Journal as the leading real estate agency website in QLD).

• Social Media.

• Buyer Match our Database to buyers who have been looking in that price bracket from other properties we have recently sold.

• At our cost we will provide a 900x1200 metal for sale sign

 

Live Listing

Advertising to a wide audience, creating buying competition;

• We would also feature your property on our website, and other property portals.

• Realestate.com.au  Premier listing for 60 days.  This will mean your property will show up under the Yeppoon Greater Region and not just Zilzie.  Most agents on the coast are now using premier listings, we would recommend for you to do the same if you want to ensure your property won't be missed.        

We also have an exclusive showcase on the REA website. This means that we are showcasing your property to capture the attention of more potential buyers.

• Domain.com.au Platinum listing for 60 days. This is the domain version of the realestate.com.au Premier listing. 

• More Social Media

• Office Window Display        

 Advertise Listing on Facebook Market Space 

 

Option 3: Auction 

When it comes to selling your home at auction, it is a similar marketing campaign to the ‘Campaign to Build Competition’. However a benefit to selling your home at auction is that is it an unconditional contract. An unconditional contract is not subject to Building and Pest Inspections or Due Diligence. The buyer must be 100% certain that they are satisfied with the condition and that they can pay for the property, as the contract is not subject to Finance Approval or Building and Pest Inspection.  Auctions work well for properties that are unique and / or in highlight desirable locations. 

 

Natalie Gesler licensed auctioneer and doesn't charge our @ Real Estate clients an auctioneer fee.

 

Want your Home Sold for Full List Price or more?

 

The @ Real Estate sales team has an excellent 81% of contracts being negotiated for full list price or more as of December 2022. Using their Unique Sales Formula, this is what these homes had in common;

 

·      Perfectly Presented.

·      Strong Marketing.

·      Priced Right.

 

·      Our sales team only take on a handful of listing at one time, so we can give you and your home full attention.

·      The experts with a massive online and social media reach.

·      Prominent modern office, Location: 20B James Street next to IGA.

·      Amazing images and videos.

·      Strong negotiation skills.

·      Getting the highest sale price for sellers not lowest price for buyers.

 

 

Up to 96% of Buyers Buy Online

Our experience and records show 96% of all @ Real Estate buyer enquiries come from online. The @ Real Estate website is receiving a growing number of hits per property and is quickly catching larger portals such as domain.com.au and realestate.com.au. Between September 2022 - November 2022 the @ Real Estate website had 19% of online views.

 

All online marketing is easy to bench mark and measure. Meaning that the @ Real Estate team are able to set an expectation as to how many internet hits a property is expected to receive from each website and on Social Media as well as the level of engagements expected. For example, the @ Real Estate sales team expects to receive 400 internet hits per property per week. If a property does not receive 400 hits per week, adjustments need to be made to increase buyer interest.

 

Online marketing is flexible and can be quickly changed or updated. For example, if a seller wants to change the price this can be changed on all internet and social media platforms quickly. Likewise, the agent may change the photos around to give the advertising a fresh look.

 

Compare Sold Properties

Instead of comparing what’s on the market, compare what has recently sold in your area. You can then see what buyers are willing to pay in your market compared to what price owners are wishing for.

 

To do this check out the sold section on your favourite property site such as atrealestate.net.au, realestate.com.au, domain.com.au etc.

 

 

Create a Plan

 

First impressions are important in creating the buyer’s perception of the property and its value. In today’s world of digital marketing it is vital to have high quality photos, videos and floor plans. Online marketing is crucial because a 59% of our buyers are not locals and a further 31% of our buyers have bought site unseen, as of December 2022. @ Real Estate has been recognised by REIQ journal as a leader in digital marketing!

 

 

 

The wider spread the marketing, the more buyer interest created

 

·      91% of potential buyers use the internet as their main tool to search for property.

·      53% of people don’t go past the first page when searching for property online.

·      realestate.com.au Premiere Property ads appear at the top of all search results for your suburb & Yeppoon greater region in our ultimate position. On average they receive 20 times more views and 9 times more enquiries than a standard ad.

·      74% of Australians use two devices simultaneously.

·      There are 2.8 Billion active Australian users on Facebook

·      The average user spends 15.5 hours on Facebook per week

 

 

Quality Photos

 

Scrolling through realestate.com.au, domain.com.au or other property advertising platform, photos really need to stand out and catch the attention of the buyer straight away, or they will keep scrolling. We like to ensure that our photos of your property are of the highest quality so that they do stand out to buyers

 

 

 

Build Emotion With A 3D Floor Plan

 

Only 30% of people understand a 2D floor plan. 3D floor plans are much easier to view and get a better idea of the general layout of a home.

 

 

 

Imagine This Is The Buyers House

 

Let go of your property emotionally, we know your home holds many treasured memories and it can be tough to accept that the property will be someone else’s new home. Try focusing on what sales results you want to achieve and the start of the next chapter of your life.

 

Move out mentally, view your home in the eyes of a buyer. Begin to imagine what a buyer will love about your property and how the presentation will affect their emotions.

 

Be objective, be prepared to do whatever it takes to present your home absolutely perfectly for buyers. Try and rearrange your room layout to maximise the spaces potential.

 

 

Renew & Repair

 

It’s all about profit, when presenting your property, make sure everything is in perfect working order. Buyers will pay extra for homes that require no work.

 

Do a maintenance check around the house before listing. Buyers will focus on every detail around the house and will notice the small flaws your property may have. If you can see it, so can everyone else. You don’t want the buyers questioning what else is wrong with the property or talking down the price.

 

 

Presentation

 

Cluttered spaces make a room look small and appear to have a lack of storage. Buyers love big, crisp and clean open spaces. Our brains are 95% emotional and 5% rational, therefore, buyers are more likely to buy a property that they have an emotional connection with.

 

To achieve this your home needs to;

 

• De-personalise; this allows the buyers to imagine themselves in the property instead of being distracted by your personal items.

•  Storage Space sells; buyers love homes with plenty of storage! Make sure you clean out anything that you don’t need.

Show the lifestyle your property offers including any main features such as entertaining areas.

 

Styling

 

Most sellers complete the previous steps and think their house is now perfect, and in most ways, it is! But now that your home is de-cluttered, clean and well maintained, it leaves you with a bare house. Bland is something we want to avoid, we want to use accessories to add warmth and emotion instead of leaving it cold and uninviting.

 

You need to create a space that;

 

·      Feels calm and peaceful.

·      Is filled with light.

·      Is inviting.

·      Has a sense of purpose.

 

Styling Steps

 

• Choose a theme. Make it flow through your whole house. Focus on what will appeal to your buyers.

• Know the selling point when you enter a room, what is the first thing that catches your attention? Create a focal point/selling point for buyers so they’re not wondering what to look at or to put their attention to. For example, a view or an architectural feature.

• Place your furniture in a way to create flow and space through your home. Remove excess furniture. Stay away from oversized, heavy, and dark furniture. Arrange the furniture so it’s easy to walk by.

• Make it light and bright. Rooms look larger if they are well lit. Maximise your natural light (opening windows & blinds). Maximise Artificial and accent lighting. 

Colours that sell. Using ‘neutral colours’ (grey, white, cream, etc.) to create a calm atmosphere.

 

Should You Leave A Room Empty?

 

  Empty rooms tend to look smaller.

   It is important to show your buyers there is space for big items. Be sure to style the space with the appropriately sized furniture. For example, if you have a smaller bedroom, instead of adding a queen or king-sized bed, put in a double or single with bedside tables.

 Empty rooms can confuse buyers.

  It’s hard to imagine what will fit in an empty room. For example, in an open plan living, dining & kitchen area that is empty, the buyer will struggle to picture where they will put their couch & dining table, or even if there is room for both! If you have these items in an area the buyer can see what fits in that space. Well placed furniture can showcase your property by taking away your buyer’s confusion and showing them how to use the space best.

 Empty rooms lack emotion.

  You want the buyer to have an emotional connection to your property.

Furnished rooms photograph better.

 

 

Room by Room Tips

 

Room styling tips

 

A Seller To Do List

 

 

Clean/replace as you need

 

·      Light Switch Covers.

·      Front door.

·      Doors and Door Knobs.

·      Fireplace.

·      Carpets.

·      Interior & Exterior Paint.

·      Light Bulbs.

·      Blinds.

·      AC/Heater vents.

 

Dust everything

 

·      Walls.

·      Baseboards.

·      Ceiling fans.

·      Blinds.

·      Windows.

·      Ceilings.

·      AC intake vents.

 

Make it inviting

 

·      Rearrange furniture to maximise visual. floor space.

·      Pack up all knick-knacks.

·      Prune and nature all house plants.

·      Reduce or add house plants to a balanced number.

·      Remove any furniture that you can live without.

·      Have a few decorative books from bookshelves.

·      Pack away personal family photos.

·      Use an essential oil diffuser for a fresh-smelling home.

 

 

Signing the Contract

Your personal @ Real Estate Sales Agent will arrange a standard REIQ contract for all parties to sign and provide you and your solicitor with a fully signed copy. In Queensland you can negotiate to have your contract subject to finance, building and pest inspection, usually 14 days. At this point you will be required to pay a deposit into the agents trust account as well as finalise your finance, organise your Building & Pest Inspection and Insurance for the property.

 

Cooling Off Period

From the day you, the Seller, receives a fully signed contract, the five working days cooling off period begins. This gives the buyers the right to terminate the contract for any reason, even an unconditional contract. A penalty of 0.25% of the purchase price may be charged by you.

Buying at Auction

Remember that selling at the fall of the hammer on auction day results in a contract of sale without any conditions and without the five-day cooling off period. The buyers finance needs to be fully approved and building and pest inspections carried out prior to auction day.

 

Unconditional Contract

 

Building and Pest Inspection

It is always recommended the buyer obtain a Building and Pest Inspection, so they know exactly what they are buying. This can be carried out up until the unconditional date stated on the contract.

Finance

If the buyer is obtaining finance, it is during this time the lender will complete the property valuation and provide unconditional approval for finance. Once all of the conditions on the contract, such as the Building and Pest Inspection and Finance clauses have been satisfied, the contract becomes unconditional.

Things that stay

·      Window furnishings

·      Dishwasher

·      Air-conditioning

·      Pool pumps and equipment

Settlement Day

Congratulations!!! Settlement day is generally 30 to 90 days after the contract date, or as agreed to on the contract. This is when you, the seller, hands over transfer documents and the buyer pays the contract price and takes possession of the keys and property. Time to celebrate!

 

The next step

How much is your property worth?

The property market is changing. Are you thinking about selling? Or just curious about the new value of your home? We would love to help!

Arrange a free appraisal

 

The @ Real Estate team are here to help

 

@ Real Estate Yeppoon
20B James Street Yeppoon
(07) 4819 9676 | [email protected]