Selling a home can be stressful, as it’s an important life decision. For most people, it’s their most valuable asset, and it’s natural to feel protective of it. After decades of experience we’ve learned that people really value the advice and guidance of a third party.

Viewers are often reluctant to give their honest opinions to the homeowner, for fear of being too direct or personal. A neutral estate agent can answer any of their tricky questions, backed up by extensive industry knowledge.

This knowledge can also be called on selling off-market. Agents will have a current list of buyers in the area, which may help sellers who are under pressure to make a quick sale. Agents can also advise on the type of sale, the marketing campaign and the optimum time to sell your home.

Most importantly, estate agents will have valuable information on buyers in the market, as the highest bidder is not necessarily the best option. And once you have finally agreed on a seller, agents can start taking care of the paperwork, such as organising booking deposits and chasing contracts.

Everyone’s circumstances are different. Maybe you have a growing family and you need more space, so a sale may seem urgent. Or maybe you just want to downsize, so you’re in no rush to move.

I always tell sellers to have a look around the neighbourhood. If you can see lots of For Sale signs it might not be the best time to sell. If a buyer can choose between four similar homes on the same road they have more bargaining power.

As a general rule, a higher number of properties for sale in an area is good news for the buyer, and fewer properties on sale is better for the vendor.

If you choose Lisney Sotheby’s International Realty and we do the initial valuation, we immediately start our marketing campaign for your home. We then arrange a professional photographer to capture shots of your home when it suits you. Once we start marketing your home through all of our channels, we arrange an open viewing, usually held on a Saturday.

The open viewing lasts between one and two hours and you don’t need to be there. We can also arrange private appointments for viewers who can’t make Saturday viewings, to ensure all buyers are considered.

First impressions count — buyers are influenced by what they see as soon as they arrive at a home. They’ll be swayed by a nicely painted front door and a well-maintained entrance.

The second, and most important rule is to make sure your home is clean. It may sound simple, but well-made beds with crisp new linen will make a great first impression. And if you have any clutter, get rid of it! This will remove distraction, and make the space look bigger and more inviting.

That’s why hiring an agent with the right experience is crucial. We will calculate a suitable asking price based on your desired amount, balanced with the price you can actually realise on the market.

We can generally gauge the level of interest in your property within four weeks of it going on the market. There are many factors that may affect demand — for example, you may need to update your decor, or there may be a lot of properties for sale in your area. If the market suggests your asking price is too high, we can reassess the price and guide you at every stage.

If you have any more questions about selling your home, get in touch today. With nearly a century of experience in the Irish property market, there’s no question we can’t answer! And for all the latest news from Lisney Sotheby’s International Realty, follow us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.