By: Jeffrey Asselstine
Managing Director
NelsonPark Property LLC
Often when people talk about real estate in Qatar, particularly among expatriates, the discussion tends to focus on the rental market, as almost all expats are tenants, especially when they first come to Qatar.However, as agents, our roles are not restricted to just rentals, and a number of us, myself included, focus purely on the sales market. So, for this edition of Trends, I would like to discuss sales, and more particularly, what can be done to help sell the property as quickly as possible.
There are a lot of factors that help a property, whether it be an apartment, townhouse or villa, sell quickly. I would like to focus on what I feel are the five main things that a seller can do to help their property sell quickly, and for the correct price in the market.
Make a great first impression
Remember the old axiom that we have been told, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”. This couldn’t be more true than in the case of looking to sell your property. Often, a potential buyer will make a positive or negative decision within the first minute of walking into a property. Make sure that when they walk in, the property is clean, welcoming and the buyer can see themselves moving in.
De-personalise your home
This is a hard one for many people.As much as we all love the items that are personal to us, the buyer needs to see themselves moving in, and not be overwhelmed by all of your personal items. Put a lot of your personal trinkets away so that the buyer can imagine the property being theirs.
Make sure your agent has all the key information they need
There are three key documents that we always ask for, and for some reason, sellers find it hard to provide. A copy of the ownership documents, that way the agent has information about the official owner(s), which often can be different from the person speaking to the agent. This can cause problems down the line. Provide a high-quality image of the floor plan that the agent can forward to potential buyers. It is increasingly asked for. Lastly, if the property is tenanted, a copy of the actual lease agreement so that the rental value being quoted is backed up.
Get your tenant on your side
If your property has been rented to a tenant, and you are looking to sell it to investors, they will love to buy a property with a tenant in place. However, it will work against you if the tenant makes viewings difficult, keeps the place messy or is just genuinely difficult. Get them on your side. Tell them that you are selling, why you are selling and provide them dinner and/or movie coupons as a thank you for them being disturbed from time to time. I would also add, don’t have multiple agents calling your tenant unless you want them to look to leave.
Be flexible
A property that is not easy to be viewed is very hard to sell. Allow your agents and their prospective buyers a lot of flexibility for viewing times. The more viewings, the greater the chance of selling.
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