10 Things CCH Estate Agents Do To Sell Your Home

1. They know, understand and interpret local market data

Our estate agents will provide you with a realistic estimate of what prices similar properties in your area have achieved over the past few months. They will also at the same time prepare you for the properties at present in the market against which your home will be competing with for buyers when the marketing process starts. They understand the local market dynamics and will assist you getting your property competitively staged and priced.

Most homeowners simply do not have the time or knowledge to interpret the local property market data and handle all the work required - which is exactly why private sellers still only account for a tiny percentage of successful home sales in any market. It is also why professional agents are often called in to help after homeowners have experienced a couple of months of unsuccessfully trying to sell their properties on their own.

No gain, no pain – the estate agency industry remains just about the only one operating on the “no gain, no pain” principle, in that the client only pays for all the above services if they result in a successful outcome.

2. Help you determine the appropriate listing price

Setting the correct selling or listing price is the MOST important facet of marketing a property. Selling a property is often an emotional experience for a seller. Having an estate agent puts a little more distance between the seller and the selling process where as marketing the property privately could lead to the seller making costly mistakes such as overpricing or on the other hand settling too easily for an offer that is below market-value because they feel pressurised to sell. Our estate agents are without any emotional ties to the property and are therefore in a better position to objectively focus on getting you as the seller the best deal possible for your property.

3. Market your home online to give it maximum exposure

Proper marketing these days entail far more than merely posting a few photos on the big property portals and maybe placing an ad in the local newspaper. 

The way in which and the place where your property will be showcased even inside the property portals itself is of the utmost importance – as nothing beats visibility on all the top 5 property websites inside South Africa. If your property would be attractive for swallows or expats – international property portals could also provide buyers. CCH is e.g. subscribed to the top website in the UK – Rightmove.

4. Employ 3D Photography & drone video footage

CCH is one of the first estate agencies in South Africa to actively roll out a 3D Virtual Reality photo and video service to our clients. We truly belief that the days of professional 2D photos and even videos are something of the past – as no photo can give a buyer as good and informative experience than a complete 3D model of the property coupled with a walk-through function from the comfort of his or her chair anywhere in the world. 

We have sold homes during the last few months – without the buyer physically visiting the property.

Our 3D scanners will capture every nook and cranny of the property’s interior. It will add all the different views from and around the property with 360 degrees shoots – even the street views when necessary. 

5. Market Mandates on Local & International Property Expos

CCH believes in going the extra and rather expensive mile for our mandates by attending both local and international expos during the last few years. CCH has showcased our mandates at the biggest 3 European expos for second home buyers from 2016.  CCH also participates in the Home Buyers Expo – an annual event at Cape Town CTICC. 

6. Employ an active social media marketing campaign on a variety of channels

CCH employs a variety of social media tools – including Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn & Google+. Our social media manager ensures that our estate agents are empowered and their mandates as visible as possible on our own channels – as well as on local community pages. Each CCH member agent also has his own social media channels – including their own Facebook Business pages.

7. CCH estate agents works easily together with other estate agencies

All our estate agents work at any given time with a range of buyers who are looking or waiting for a specific type or size of property – and if they do not have a qualified buyer, the changes are good that one of their colleagues from within CCH or even from another estate agency will have one. 

CCH do not have any restrictive commission sharing policies in place – i.e. company policies which will prevent other estate agencies from introducing their buyers to our mandates. Please ensure as a seller that you investigate this aspect during all your estate agents interviews, as this “hidden agenda” can be very detrimental in the marketing of your property. If an estate agent will only allow other agents or agency’s buyers access after 2 or 3 months off their sole mandate period into your property – then do not commit to them. If they expect other estate agents to share commission on a very unreasonable 80/20 or even 70/30 basis, then do not commit to them, as this very definitely will limit your property’s exposure in terms of how many buyers will get to know about it.

8. CCH estate agents will invite other estate agents to your property

Ensure that your estate agent invite all the competing estate agencies to an open house – i.e. to view your property after the second week of the 1st month of the marketing plan. 

If your home do not sell within the 1st month – then it is either priced wrongly (too high relative to other competing properties in the local market) ) or the marketing efforts of your estate agent was too restrictive vis-a-vis other estate agents. By making your mandated agent employ an more open approach to a sole mandate, will give your property indirectly also access to the marketing efforts of all other estate agencies. Ensure that all estate agencies become part of the marketing plan and actions by not later than by the 4th week of the sole mandate period in the form of (1) an open house and (2) the accompanying distribution of your property details to all other agencies by way of an email invitation to bring their buyers.

Estate agencies literally “make” the residential marketplace, with active networking and canvassing, as well as large volumes of advertising that create interest and buyer demand on a scale not possible for private sellers to achieve.         

9. Estate agents can see problems before they occur

Problems tend to find or follow inexperience or a lack of specialist knowledge. Putting a price on a smooth property sales process is very difficult to ascertain – it is however very similar to the luxury of living without a dental problem or pain – as you only truly realize the value of it when you have to pain manage it! It is with good reason that estate agents these days must meet stringent educational requirements and commit to continuous training. There’s the constant changes to legislation governing property transactions, e.g. certificates of compliance to have that agents are aware of, but private sellers wouldn’t generally know about. Agents are equipped to guide sellers through the entire selling process: responding to initial enquiries, sifting through the callers, showing the property, responding to questions and concerns and finally closing the deal. Sellers inexperienced to the property market, could find themselves making ‘repairs’ which in reality are improvements.
The estate agent’s knowledge and experience of the property transaction process is priceless and can’t be obtained with a few quick searches on Google.

10. Estate Agents Know Where To Find Buyers

CCH have a database of about 30 000 buyers who have all contacted our member agents during the last 2 years. Our member estate agents work at any given time with a range of buyers who are looking or waiting for a specific type or size of property – and if they do not have a qualified buyer, the changes are good that one of their colleagues will have one. Selling property successfully is a full-time job. This is something people thinking of selling their own property do not realise until they are in the process. They need to consider whether they are prepared to deal with calls from prospective buyers and repeat showing of the property, even on weekends.
As estate agents it is part and parcel of our job to do follow-up calls and to be available to assist interested buyers. Everyone’s time is valuable these days. Making use of our services will save you as a seller a lot of hassle.