Many people in Poland are still trying to sell a flat or house directly, without the help of real estate agencies. They do it primarily with the erroneous idea of ​​saving on the commission they charge for their services.

Many people may think that the work of such an agent is limited only to displaying an advertisement with an offer and publishing an advertisement about the sale on several internet portals, which they can do themselves! However, in reality, a real estate broker does much more, and his help can be crucial if we want a reliable, fast and secure transaction of selling or renting an apartment.

Cooperation with a real estate office
First of all, it is worth considering cooperation with a real estate agency due to its thorough knowledge of the local real estate market, as well as prevailing trends. Moreover, real estate brokers work not only with interior designers. A good agency has contact with many specialists whose services are very useful when selling an apartment or when looking for people interested in renting. These are, for example , building inspectors, lawyers, loan advisers or even painters.

Agencies also cooperate with photographers who will take professional photos emphasizing the advantages of an apartment or a house. Agency marketing is also more effective than a seller can do on his own.

A network of verified customers
The real estate agency has access not only to a ready-made list of specialists whose services may be helpful in selling real estate. It also has customers in its database who want to buy a flat or a house and can contact the seller with a group of interested parties. What's more, agency clients are already verified. Homes for sale in upland ca

What is this verification about?

First of all, the real estate broker can check whether the client actually has creditworthiness. In addition, if he has already presented him several properties, he knows what exactly the client is looking for and what are his preferences regarding the real estate market. He will not waste the seller's time if he knows that his apartment is not of interest to a potential buyer because, for example, it has defects that have already disqualified several similar properties. For example, it could be a narrow corridor, a constant room or an unfavorable view of the nearby bus terminus, aspects that do not always seem so obvious.

In addition, intermediaries often share information about customers among themselves, thanks to which the number of potential buyers may increase even several times and significantly increase our chances of a quick and fruitful transaction.

How much is the real estate agent's commission?
Still, many people wonder about the issue of costs and how high the commission that the real estate agent charges can be. As it turns out, there is no fixed amount of commission that real estate agencies charge for the work of their agents. It can be both 3% and 10%. Most often it is higher in the case of land sales, which requires more advertising and marketing expenditure and lasts longer than in the case of a house or apartment. It is also often associated with longer journeys that the agent takes to present the object to other people willing to buy it.

However, when paying a higher commission, the seller can count on more. As part of the real estate broker commission, the agency often provides interior decorator services, for example, who suggest what changes could make the sale price higher. Of course, this is not about a general renovation , but the mere rearrangement of furniture in the living room or the removal of unnecessary items, for example, from the kitchen countertop, can make these rooms look much better in the eyes of potential buyers.

Minimum formalities
When considering how much an agent takes and whether it is worth hiring, you need to take into account that selling real estate is not just about finding someone willing to buy our house or apartment. This is just the beginning.

The next stage is signing the preliminary contract, and then the proper deed of sale at the notary's office. Increasingly, preliminary contracts are also signed in the presence of a notary - especially when a large advance payment is involved. If someone sells his property directly, he has to find a notary and arrange a date convenient for both parties to the transaction. You must also provide all the documents necessary to sign the act of sale in advance.

Each agency cooperates with a notary's office. The intermediary makes sure that the notary receives the documents and sets a date convenient for both parties. He also tries to obtain extracts from land and mortgage registers and certificates from a housing cooperative or community , so that the buyer can be sure that the property being purchased is not encumbered with a mortgage and arrears in paying the rent.

The real estate broker commission is often treated as an unnecessary cost for the sale. Meanwhile, the benefits of using its services far outweigh the savings in direct sales.

Types of contracts with a real estate broker
When deciding to provide an agent for the sale or rental of our property, you must sign a real estate brokerage agreement. It is a contract that sets out the obligations of the real estate broker that he undertakes to perform. It must be concluded in writing. We can choose from 2 types of agency contracts: an open contract and an exclusive contract.

An open contract primarily allows for cooperation with more than one real estate agency. This means that our apartment or house may appear on the offer of several real estate agencies. This form of contract is very popular in Poland, but it also has many disadvantages. First of all, the premises offered by several intermediaries of various agencies are not as attractive an object to be promoted by the agency as an exclusive property.

This, in turn, is possible when signing an exclusive contract. Then the broker has greater certainty that his time and work put into selling the property will be realistically remunerated. Moreover, real estate agencies try to ensure that in the case of exclusive contracts, the broker has a limited group of clients, thus giving them greater support and an extended offer of services.