Buyers and Sellers, a Property Agents Perspective
When I look at life these days, it seems to me that money dictates our happiness.
Lack of it and we have worries, plenty of it makes us happier but free from worry, I do not think so.
Dealing in the property market, brings to the surface the way that money changes people.
One minute they are happy, grateful and positive, next, resentful, churlish and negative.
Selling a property as the owner, you want the best deal that you can get and as a buyer equally the same.
Enter the property agent who in Spain has a completely different role to that of an estate agent in the UK.
When a potential purchaser is looking to buy in a foreign country, they need to trust and rely on the services of strangers with whom they have no relationship.
There are not only issues of property here in Spain, but language and protocols on how you do things.
From the sellers perspective, once they have made the decision to sell, then they usually use the services of a property company to advertise their property that bring clients to view.
All sounds really straightforward and simple until you start to advise people.
Now for many sellers it is their home and possibly their only asset.
When I go to view, I immediately will know on arriving what are the good and negative points.
These will invariably be the things that a potential buyer will notice as well.
Trying to explain to an owner that certain things will affect the price and sale of his or her property can suddenly change a happy meeting into a negative one, with defence barriers raised immediately.
"The pig farm, we never get any smells from it!" "My neighbour's dogs barking all the time, no problem" Money being the base ingredient of the sale can stop people looking at the situation in a positive manner.
If you have decided to sell for whatever reason then the end product must be a sale.
How you get there and what you need to do to achieve the sale is why you bring in people, experienced in their trade whether in houses or cars.
The number of times I am told, "of course I am not in a hurry to sell" translate, "if you think I am going to give this place away, think again" With the buyers, especially in today's turbulent market, everyone is a property expert.
"I know people are desperate to sell, and I intend to get a good deal, their money issues are not my problem" This a common phrase these days and when I hear it my heart sinks.
I know everyone wants a good deal but please, let us conduct ourselves with some degree of concern.
My husband always says that a good deal leaves everybody walking away happy, and I totally agree with him.
The sad thing is that if people could only retain the demeanour of concern for the other party.
Show each other some respect, then the negotiation would actually go better.
Both parties getting the satisfaction of winning their corner and in many cases actually gaining a lot more.
I have seen situations where buyers have so pummelled the seller down on price, only to lose all the extras that the owner; especially in Spain was going to leave.
Unlike in the UK when a property is sold, due to the costs of transferring back home, owners will include all the furnishings in the property sale.
You can buy an entire home and all you need are to put your clothes away.
Potential buyers will argue over 2,000 Euros, win the day and find that the sellers have removed many things such a televisions, microwaves, garden furniture.
These items will actually cost them more to replace.
These are goodwill items that the owner thinks,"look no point in hauling them away, these are good people, and I will include the items in".
Had the goodwill stayed in place and they had looked at the situation sensibly, then both parties would have walked away content.
However, no, money got in the way and sensible thinking went out the window.
There is an old saying about "winning the battle and losing the war"! The other financial issue that causes problems is the property agent's commission.
At the start of a sale, all parties will agree to the terms.
However, once that sale is done, when it comes to paying the agent, he is no longer regarded as a friend.
The agent is seen as "taking money for very little work" All the good will and pleas of getting a sale are now forgotten and in many cases the owner will try to re-negotiate the commission.
A good property agent will actually save both parties money if they listen to him.
The additional duties, which include, translation, tours of the area, introductions to neighbours to help settle in, opening banks accounts and many more unpaid for services, all are taken for granted by both parties.
Money is important, no question about that, but how you handle yourself as a person has much more value.
So if you are a buyer or a seller, put yourself in the other persons shoes, think how you would like to be treated and move on with your life.
Lack of it and we have worries, plenty of it makes us happier but free from worry, I do not think so.
Dealing in the property market, brings to the surface the way that money changes people.
One minute they are happy, grateful and positive, next, resentful, churlish and negative.
Selling a property as the owner, you want the best deal that you can get and as a buyer equally the same.
Enter the property agent who in Spain has a completely different role to that of an estate agent in the UK.
When a potential purchaser is looking to buy in a foreign country, they need to trust and rely on the services of strangers with whom they have no relationship.
There are not only issues of property here in Spain, but language and protocols on how you do things.
From the sellers perspective, once they have made the decision to sell, then they usually use the services of a property company to advertise their property that bring clients to view.
All sounds really straightforward and simple until you start to advise people.
Now for many sellers it is their home and possibly their only asset.
When I go to view, I immediately will know on arriving what are the good and negative points.
These will invariably be the things that a potential buyer will notice as well.
Trying to explain to an owner that certain things will affect the price and sale of his or her property can suddenly change a happy meeting into a negative one, with defence barriers raised immediately.
"The pig farm, we never get any smells from it!" "My neighbour's dogs barking all the time, no problem" Money being the base ingredient of the sale can stop people looking at the situation in a positive manner.
If you have decided to sell for whatever reason then the end product must be a sale.
How you get there and what you need to do to achieve the sale is why you bring in people, experienced in their trade whether in houses or cars.
The number of times I am told, "of course I am not in a hurry to sell" translate, "if you think I am going to give this place away, think again" With the buyers, especially in today's turbulent market, everyone is a property expert.
"I know people are desperate to sell, and I intend to get a good deal, their money issues are not my problem" This a common phrase these days and when I hear it my heart sinks.
I know everyone wants a good deal but please, let us conduct ourselves with some degree of concern.
My husband always says that a good deal leaves everybody walking away happy, and I totally agree with him.
The sad thing is that if people could only retain the demeanour of concern for the other party.
Show each other some respect, then the negotiation would actually go better.
Both parties getting the satisfaction of winning their corner and in many cases actually gaining a lot more.
I have seen situations where buyers have so pummelled the seller down on price, only to lose all the extras that the owner; especially in Spain was going to leave.
Unlike in the UK when a property is sold, due to the costs of transferring back home, owners will include all the furnishings in the property sale.
You can buy an entire home and all you need are to put your clothes away.
Potential buyers will argue over 2,000 Euros, win the day and find that the sellers have removed many things such a televisions, microwaves, garden furniture.
These items will actually cost them more to replace.
These are goodwill items that the owner thinks,"look no point in hauling them away, these are good people, and I will include the items in".
Had the goodwill stayed in place and they had looked at the situation sensibly, then both parties would have walked away content.
However, no, money got in the way and sensible thinking went out the window.
There is an old saying about "winning the battle and losing the war"! The other financial issue that causes problems is the property agent's commission.
At the start of a sale, all parties will agree to the terms.
However, once that sale is done, when it comes to paying the agent, he is no longer regarded as a friend.
The agent is seen as "taking money for very little work" All the good will and pleas of getting a sale are now forgotten and in many cases the owner will try to re-negotiate the commission.
A good property agent will actually save both parties money if they listen to him.
The additional duties, which include, translation, tours of the area, introductions to neighbours to help settle in, opening banks accounts and many more unpaid for services, all are taken for granted by both parties.
Money is important, no question about that, but how you handle yourself as a person has much more value.
So if you are a buyer or a seller, put yourself in the other persons shoes, think how you would like to be treated and move on with your life.
Source...