How to sell a house during a pandemic

Buying or selling a property can be a daunting task with a number of choices and decisions to be made. Some of these considerations are new and unique to lockdown conditions while others challenged sellers and buyers before the current environment and will need to be overcome even after Covid-19.

Selling a home

Q: How would I do a live walk-through of my home online?

A:

Once a buyer shows serious interest, a group video call can be arranged between the seller, the agent and the buyer, where the seller walks through the home room by room to answer any questions the buyer might have. As an expert in this field, a real estate agent will be best equipped to answer questions buyers pose at this point. The agent will also guide sellers into which areas of the home should be highlighted and explained in more detail.

– Adrian Goslett, Re/Max of Southern Africa

Q: How do I know which estate agency will market my property best?

A:

Ask several agents from different agencies to submit marketing proposals that outline their strategy and ask questions about their recent sales in the area. Once you have decided which agent and agency can offer you the best marketing for your home, it’s then easy to have a frank and honest discussion to determine a sale price and discuss other factors like the photographs and videos.

– Chris Cilliers, Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty

Q: How is the selling price of my property determined?

A:

The condition of the property when it goes to market, and the eventual sale price of the property, is ultimately controlled by the market conditions, the demand and the price that you are prepared to accept.

– Chris Cilliers, Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty

Q: I have had my home on the market for a few weeks and have had an offer. Should I accept it or wait for a better offer? How do I know when I should accept an offer or not?

A:

Consider all offers. Provided your asking price is market related, any offer close to your asking price should be considered. You can always make a counter offer if you sense that the buyer might come back with a slightly better price. What you can accept will ultimately depend on your financial circumstances, but remember, the longer you wait, the lower the price that you may end up settling for.

– Samuel Seeff, Seeff Property Group