Author: Thomas Pretty

When moving home it is imperative that you pick the right estate agent. You want an agent that is going to do your property justice and get you a good price. Before you sign anything and enter any deal with an estate agent there are number of questions you need to ask; here are ten of the best questions to ask to make sure you receive efficient service.

1. The first question to set to your estate agent is how much they charge. Although rates vary a general rule of thumb is around one to three percent of the eventual sale price. At this stage it is essential to negotiate if you feel the cost is too high, it is worth remembering though that price usually reflects the effort the estate agent will put into the sale of your home. A lower price may in fact harm the service you receive. Before entering an agreement ensure to get all details put down in writing so you can highlight any discrepancies you may have.

2. Another question you should ask your estate agent is whether they are a member of any ombudsman schemes. In the UK there are no compulsorily legislative regulation schemes and hence membership to a body such as the NAEA (National Association of Estate Agents) or the OEA (Ombudsman of Estate Agents) is essential. These types of organisations ensure their members follow strict guidelines and have comprehensive complaints measures in place.

3. Thirdly you should find out how viewings will take place, obviously you know your property better than anyone and will want to show it off to its best potential. Research however has shown that houses that are viewed in the presence of an estate agent do sell quicker, this is definitely worth bearing in mind. Usually a balance of the two will maximise the viewings and increase your chances of a sale.

4. Find out from you estate agent the prices of similar houses in the area. Any agent worth their salt will be able to answer this question in a knowledgeable way, if they cannot, it may be time to find a new representative. Although the answer to this question may vary greatly due to market fluctuations, its purpose is not really to gain a figure but work out the level of knowledge possessed.

5. Ask how your property will be marketed; websites are increasingly being used in the industry and to maximise the chance of a sale, online marketing is essential. The older methods of local papers are still worthwhile but finding an estate agent who is up to date with technological developments is highly desirable.

6. Try to find out what the notice period is if you do want to change your agent. Some will require a two to four week period before you can make the change. Changing however is not always advisable; twelve weeks should be allowed for the sale of your house unless you are utterly unhappy with the service you are receiving.

7. Assess the level of sales that fall through with that particular estate agent. According to research it is estimated that eighteen percent of sales fail to reach completion. This is normally down to the buyers so a figure below this percentage will reveal how devoted an agent is to pursuing a sale.

8. A good question to ask is what kind of information they will be including in the marketing literature, this should ideally be asked after they have looked around so you can assess whether you estate agent has noticed your property’s strongest selling points. It can also give a good indication of the agent’s marketing skills.

9. It may seem a given but asking how to stay in touch with your agent is essential. Selling your house can be stressful and not being able to get hold of your representative can make the process more so. Test the water by making enquiries before the house has gone on the market, if they take their time getting back to you, you can presume they give buyers the same level of service.

10. Finally a vital question that needs to be answered is the time the average property takes to sell. If properties are on the books for no time at all it may be an indication that your agent is underselling. The opposite can be asserted if properties are on the books for extended periods of time.

Author: Ruchir Sen

While the prices of real estate in India keep soaring to unprecedented levels, one common question that hangs back and forth in every one’s mind is—how does these property prices decided?

Though it is quite crucial to spot the right price for making a meaningful real estate transaction, it is all the way difficult to evaluate it. There is no formula is there for your help!!!

Be it a residential property in India or a commercial one, there is no rulebook following which you could derive and justify the price of a property in India.

So, here we discuss some of the most important parameters that a property buyer as well as seller should keep in consideration while coming on terms for a property transaction.

Determining factors

Well half of the things depend on the area where the property is situated. Market value of an apartment or an independent house located at a residential area near the most happening market place or office area can be more than the segregated ones. The same applies to the commercial locations.

* Civic infrastructure: Not to mention, plush green surroundings with civic infrastructure and amenities like roads, safe drinking water and drainage system play instrumental role in determining prices of property market of a particular location.

* Safety and Security: Real estate at locations that are closer or are known as disturbance prone area are valued low, irrespective of infrastructure and other facilities. Sharp declines in the prices are witnessed in areas where incidents of loot or theft are reported frequently.

* Connectivity: Sound connectivity with bus depot, railway station and airport is equally important. Particularly, commercial properties in India in vicinity to these facilities make sensible investment proposition.

Quality rules the roost

Since, property valuation is a coherent process, all the afore-discussed measures go hand in hand with perception of quality.

Besides the tangible aspects of construction, you should also consider the intangible one like the track record of builder or developer. It’s advisable to check that the developer has all the due permissions and clearances from Municipal Corporation and other government authorities like Pollution Control Board.

Author: Shareen Aguilar

Generating leads for real estate is one of the many stages needed before a real estate agent gets a sale; a successful client. But even for the moment of having all the leads in your hands, regardless if there are thousands of them; when reality starts to kick in that there could be a lot of rejected leads, those that are not just interested to get any service from any real estate agent just yet or it could simply become a lead that doesn’t respond back to any of the contacts that you have made.

Setting your focus on what could happen in the real world is going to make the load lighter. Most real estate agents are already pleased by the number of leads that they get but the fact that these people have to be convinced and needs persuasion isn’t an easy job at all. There could be instances when there are leads that will correspond with your inquiry but there is still a possibility for them not to contact you back in anyway or anymore. These instances do happen and after a while, you’ll simply realize that out of the thousands of leads you have received, you can only count clients with your own fingers.

This is where filtering comes in. If you want to save on the money that you have paid lead generating companies, make sure that you do spend and check the leads you get. Chances are, these leads could be generated from other companies giving you duplicate leads which is not necessarily at all. This makes the lead generating companies that you trust a bad choice. But, of course, you have to assert and pro actively seek out the leads you get. If you are determined enough to reach these leads during their most comfortable time of the day, you will definitely get a good head start on lead marketing.