Listing Your Property – Office Based Agent or Home Based?
by Carole Exton in Locations Costa Blanca
We are asked regularly what is the benefit listing your property with a real estate agency with an office or a home based/ bedroom agent.
In the modern era it cannot be disputed that you can work from anywhere in the world and with the right application you can be successful without an office, however as a vendor you should consider these important factors when choosing to list your property with either an office based real estate agent or home based realtor.
- Having an office means that we get lots of walk by and walk in clients who see our boards, see our external marketing outside the office and see our windows then walk in. A home based agent isn’t going to get walk ins. We are strategically placed next to a busy supermarket that means people have to walk past our office. The impact for a vendor is that you’ll get increased viewings. (Taking yesterday as an example we had 3 walk in clients, each one viewed and we have two offers on the table.)
- Office based agents should have full payment facilities in the office to make sure we can take instant deposits and reserves – as a vendor you don’t want your buyer flying back and promising a transfer. We can offer a credit card facility there and then to reserve your property and guarantee the sale. Would any client swipe their card in someone’s kitchen?
- Meetings and credibility – Having an office means overheads, whilst stay at home agents will tell you this is why they don’t have an office we see it as a sign of credibility that you can find us and come in with any questions, issues or just for a chat. During trading hours there will always be someone on hand to chat with you. For collaborators sending clients it’s better for your client confidence that your overseas partner can offer office and meeting room facilities…not a bar stool or sofa in a living room to chat business. We also look at it as a sign of ongoing success – being able to support overheads every month year on year means we are selling…the bills don’t pay themselves, our success pays the bills.
- Key security – When you list your property more often than not the agent will have a copy of your keys which is huge trust. We have insurance specifically for key holding and are trusted by major banks in Spain to keyholder. We have alarm systems, 24 hour cctv monitoring and secure key storage. Can a home based agent offer this? Where would you sooner leave your key and access to your property…beats a glove box or tin in a kitchen cupboard!
- Commission – Home based agents will argue they work for less commission, this may be true however this element can put you as a vendor and your buyers in a tricky position when it comes to negotiations; for example you may not be willing to come down lower than a certain fee and your potential buyer will only bid a certain amount leaving you just a fraction apart from doing a deal and achieving a quick sale. It´s all fine and well a home based agent giving you a low commission incentive but this will leave them no room to negotiate on their commission to fill the void between the buyer´s offer and what you deem as an acceptable offer. Office based agents should always be flexible with commission.
- Focus – Being in an office environment in real estate with a dedicated team means your focus as a real estate agent is on the job and you are not being disturbed by that annoying tourist arriving on holiday who needs to borrow some sugar or has broken their corkscrew and disturbs your focus.