Is it worth selling with an agent? What an agency does that you don’t see

“I can post the advert myself, so what am I paying for?” It is a fair question and deserves a fair answer. The advert really is the simplest part of a sale. An agency’s work happens before it and after it – and that is what decides the price, the timing and the owner’s peace of mind.

Before the advert: price and documents

The most expensive mistake a seller can make is the wrong asking price. Too high, and the listing “wears out” on the portals: the first weeks, when interest is highest, pass without viewings, and every later reduction looks like a sign of weakness. Too low is simply money lost. An agent who sees transactions in a given area every day knows not only the asking prices on the portals but what similar properties actually sell for.

The second thing is paperwork. A discrepancy in the land register, a missing certificate from the cooperative, an unsettled easement, legal status after an inheritance – these usually surface just before the notarial deed and can delay a transaction by months or break it. We check them at the start, while there is time to put things right.

Presentation: how the property looks through a buyer’s eyes

A buyer makes the first decision in seconds, looking at the photos. That is why we organise a professional photo shoot for every listing and, before it, advise what to change or put away so the interiors show their potential. This is not “beautifying” – it is removing the obstacles that stop a good buyer from coming to a viewing.

Between the advert and the contract

This is where most of the work happens, though it is the least visible: dozens of calls, including from people who just want “to have a look”, viewings at times that suit buyers, the same questions answered again and again, checking whether an interested party has financing, negotiations in which an agent can say things the owner should not say personally. With a mortgage purchase there is also the coordination of the bank, the valuer, the notary and the dates. A well-run sale is boring for the owner – and that is the point.

When you don’t need an agent

We will say it plainly: if you are selling to a family member or a neighbour who has been waiting years for the chance, and your documents are in order, a good notary is enough. An agency makes sense when a buyer has to be found, a good price achieved and the process run without surprises.

If you want to know exactly what we would do with your property, book a conversation. We present the scope of work and the fee before any agreement is signed.