FAQ
The Real Estate Help Center
Contemplating buying or selling a house and have no idea where to begin? Here’s a list of some of the questions you might have about the real estate process. If you have any additional questions, please get in touch.
WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE FINAL HOME SALE PRICE DO AGENTS CHARGE?
A Real Estate Agents commission is always a contentious topic. The majority of homes sold in central Auckland have front-loaded commission rates, so depending on the value of your home the amount of commission can change drastically.
A good estimate to work off is around 2.5-3% plus GST.
REMEMBER! however, the cheapest agent may not be one who has the lowest commission, it is the one who can get you the most value for your home. If one agent costs $5,000.00 more but you can trust them to get an extra $50,000.00 through their hard work, you'll make $45,000.00 of potentially tax-free income.
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HOW DO I PICK THE RIGHT REAL ESTATE AGENTS?
There are 1000's of real estate agents in Auckland, so how do you choose the best?
This is not something you should take lightly, and should spend real time sourcing the best agent/s for your property. These days with the amount of work involved in a real estate transaction you need a team.
The team you need to hire to get a premium price is one who has a database of clients looking in your area, a proven marketing approach with a fixed deadline, and a thorough process for keeping in touch with every single person who shows any interest in your home.
Picking agents who understands that getting prepared for the market is the first step. 90% of the work selling can be done before it hits the market. Presenting the right property to the market with no or few issues is key to securing the premium price. Even a small issue like a converted carport into a garage can affect the number of buyers who can get finance for your home (potentially affecting the sale price). So a truly diligent real estate team will have your home ready to sell before it hits the market (not during).
We suggest having us in at least 6-24 months before sale.
HOW DO YOU FIND BUYERS FOR MY PROPERTY?
Buyers for a home come from many different sources, so making sure we don't leave a stone unturned is crucial in getting a premium price.
THE OBVIOUS: marketing and databasing is the first key to bringing in buyers to your home. We talk to a lot of potential home buyers in the city fringe area who are thinking about their next purchase, so not only can we bring them to your home, but we also can effectively market to each individual buyer type.
THE AWARENESS: you'll be surprised how often we sell a home to a neighbour or a neighbours friend/relative. Getting out there and talking to the local community (door knocking, phone calls, letters, etc.) brings in a wealth of buyers, which come with recommendations from people they trust.
THE CONTINUANCE: "not leaving a stone unturned", continually following up with not just the interested parties but all buyers for your property, means their interest will peak, and build trust with us to make a good purchase.
WHAT DO I NEED TO GET MY HOME "MARKET READY"?
We position ourselves as “start to finish” real estate experts, with a combined 14 years of experience we can give advice on how to position your property perfectly in the current market, where all buyers will fall in love with it.
Tip’s and an outside look at renovations, repairs, paint colours, etc, can not only help to sell but also stop you from over capitalising on a renovation.
Every property is different so we recommend getting us in before you start, to talk over how your home can shine the brightest.
Click here to find out a bit more about preparing your home for the market
We have a great team of trusted contractors to help with any tasks to get your home market ready.
WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO UPGRADE MY HOUSE?
It's hard to conceive of selling your property without securing another home first. “We don’t want to be homeless!”.
This is completely understandable, especially for families with young kids and pets. The problem with this approach is it often means that when you find your dream home you need to make your offer "subject to the sale of your existing property". This is a surefire way to lose out in a competitive situation.
There are two options if you wish that can help alleviate this issue. Firstly securing bridging finance to improve your offer, secondly (and the better option) selling first giving yourself a long settlement 3-4 months to secure another home.
Yes, it is daunting to sell your home without knowing where you are going to move to, but the benefits are huge. You can focus on getting the best price, you are under no pressure whatsoever to accept any offer that comes in and you have no impending pressure from the thought of having to potentially cover 2 mortgages.
If the offer doesn't feel right, simply you don't have to sell, the key question is could you secure a new home in 3-4 months if you were a cash buyer?
HOW MUCH SHOULD I INVEST INTO MARKETING MY HOME?
It all begins with the property. These days marketing has become cheaper with full online campaigns including social media to reach passive buyers (instead of costly print marketing). You can expect a comprehensive online marketing budget to range from $3,000 - $6,000.
Getting marketing right must be customised specifically for your property, this means taking into account what makes your property special/stand out from the rest. Gone are the days you can just put a signboard out and wait for buyers to turn up, marketing a property is an ever-changing medium, where your agents need to be on top of the game. We tailor our marketing campaigns, photoshoots, social media advertising, and engagement videos directly for the home we are selling. Having a hands-on touch, helping to pick the perfect angle to approach your property's best features.
DO I NEED A LAWYER TO BUY/SELL A HOME?
Yes. Making sure you have a good team around you, will make the whole process much simpler and ensure there are no surprises or hidden issues. Find yourself a great lawyer to take care of your conveyancing, settlement processes and general advice.
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HOW DO I KNOW I'M NOT BUYING A LEMON?
Buying a home, especially your first home can be a daunting, timely, and expensive endeavor. However, when you are purchasing a home it is worth your while to make sure everything is the way it should be. Getting a registered building inspector, electrical inspector, etc. is more than worth the cost they charge.
Not only will they give you piece of mind in the purchase of a new home, but also give you a great insight into what may need to be done while you're owning the home and could improve upon for resale.
Remember there is no such thing as a 'perfect builders report', not even for a new home.
Keep in mind too that a building inspector will only tell you what’s wrong with a property. That’s what you pay them for, after all. Don’t expect a balanced report with a pros and cons table.
WHERE DO I START?
Where do you start when you think about the next move?
Simply the best place to start is to contact your trusted real estate agent for an accurate valuation/appraisal of your home.
At the same time also make sure to get advice/tips of how your home could be best presented for the local market. You by no means have to use the agent's checklist (could be too time-consuming/costly), just remember their jobs are always to position a home at the point where it will sell (as they don't get paid unless it sells).
Remember it helps if you or the agent orders a property title, LIM (and potentially property file), well before marketing as there maybe be hidden factors which can drastically change the value of your home.
A mortgage advisor, to get your home loan sorted and ensure you make the best moves for you and your future goals. A lot of the time your current bank is not the best suited to your buying needs, having a broker to pitch your offer to all banks is so easy and is free to you