Estate agent top tips for selling your Crete property

Estate agent top tips for selling your Crete property…

Many sellers begrudge estate agents' fees especially when they are as high as 4%. Although all Crete estate agents offer a “no sale, no fee” to sellers they do claim a commission fee of anything from 1% - 4% of the selling price if they sell for you.

Added to this in Crete, estate agents not only get paid fees from the vendor, but also charge a commission fee of the same amount from the buyer too!

In the UK an estate agent works solely for the vendor and will of course get the best price they can from a buyer. The higher the selling price they can secure – the higher their commission.

In Crete the estate agent in effect is working for you the seller, and also the buyer, and getting paid by both!

In Crete the estate agent is seen as an intermediary between the two parties of seller and buyer and gets paid by both for putting them together.

So, as a seller you are left with the unenviable choice of trying to sell your property without an estate agent or bite the bullet and pay up.

We, here at Completely Crete, offer private sellers the opportunity to advertise their property for FREE without the need for an estate agent. Take a look at our Resale Property Section for full details.

We cannot guarantee a sale for you but we’ll not charge a commission fee either.

If you do decide that you simply must use an estate agent then it makes sense to get full value from them. Make them really work for their money!

Here’s our Estate Agent Top Tips…

Always check estate agents' fees up front - you could save yourself a small fortune by shopping around.
If you feel their fees are too high - negotiate them down to a lower rate and get this agreed in writing.
You can use any number of estate agents in Crete. You are not tied to just one. Use as many as you like.
Don't forget they're working for you, so never feel embarrassed to chase them if you feel they're not doing enough.
Make sure you are 100% happy with the photos they have taken of your home. If the estate agent can't or won't take excellent pictures for you - do it yourself. Every picture tells a story and a good photograph will speak volumes to potential buyers.
Make sure you are 100% happy with the way they word the description and details of your property. (We've known estate agents to focus on describing the ins and outs of the septic tank rather than the brilliant feature of a beautiful garden filled with fruit trees and brightly coloured flowers!)
Give the estate agent all the information they need about you and your house so they can pass this on to genuine enquiries from potential buyers. If you're planning to leave anything like kitchen appliances, light fittings, curtains etc, ask them to point this out to potential buyers. If you need to move quickly, ask them to inform potential buyers of that fact too.
Be firm and explicit about what you expect from your estate agent and the viewers they line up for you. Ask them to brief potential buyers on what to expect from your house (if it's an inland village cottage in need of some renovation you don't want viewers who are looking for a brand new coastal villa).
Point out that you are ONLY interested in showing your property to people who are serious and genuine about buying Crete property now. A good estate agent can tell the difference between a dreaming 'wannabee' holidaymaker from a serious buyer who's ready and able to commit to buying.
Finally, it's in their best interest to get your Crete property sold as quickly as possible. So don't hold back when asking for the best possible service from your Crete estate agent.