Selling your home is a big decision, so it’s important you get it right. That’s why we’ve created this quick overview of the various steps involved in selling property, so you know where you stand every step of the way.

  1. Be prepared – decide to sell

The first step you need to take is to decide when or if you want to sell. Look at property prices, interest rates, capital gain, rental prices, yield and any recent or likely changes to government policy. 

Visit our market reports section – which contain latest housing price, rental and suburb reports or check out our sold properties.

  2. Choose a salesperson

Your salesperson will expose your property to the marketplace and negotiate with buyers on your behalf, so finding the right person is an important part of the process. 

  3. Why choose Barfoot & Thompson?

We have over 1,700 salespeople across Auckland and Northland who all have their own network of contacts in their local communities and beyond. All our salespeople are free to introduce their buyers to your property – which gives us greater reach and selling power. This, in turn, gives your home more exposure and gives you a better chance of getting a premium price.

Our network gets the most buyers through your home.

Every single one of our salespeople have access to your property listing and can search for a suitable ‘buyer match’ for your home. That means anyone can introduce a buyer directly to your property, no matter where they’re located. We love to share our listings – we think it’s the right way to get you the best results.

 4. How to get your home ready to sell

Before you put your house on the market, it’s important to know your competition, the market and make sure your house is looking its best. 

Read our top tips and advice on what you can do before you sell your home.

Top selling tip – You can’t sell a secret

The more buyers who know your property is for sale, the greater the opportunity you have in achieving a premium price. 

For more information speak to a salesperson. 

  5. Finding a lawyer

Before you sell a property, we recommend that you get your own independent legal advice. 

Finding the right lawyer is an important part of the buying and selling process. Agency and Sale and Purchase Agreements are legally binding, so consult before you sign

  6. Choose how you want to sell

We will help you work out the best way to sell your property – that’s right for you personally and your house.

   7.  Marketing your property

We pride ourselves on holding nothing back when it comes to promoting your property.

We know your local market

Many people want to buy their next home in their existing neighbourhood, or surrounding suburbs.

That’s why so many of our customers tell us that property signs and window displays are still so useful.

Similarly, flyers dropped into letterboxes are a great way of attracting interested locals to your open homes. Or they might pass on the details to friends and colleagues.

We’re ahead of the game with digital marketing

From getting your home onto the right websites, to creating dynamic digital content, we have a huge range of options to choose from – and we’re always thinking about the next big thing.

All of our listings feature on our own website, as well as Realestate.co.nz, Hougarden.com, Nzrealtors.co.nz and international site LeadingRE.com.

We use only the best professional photography

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Our listings feature only the best in professional, high resolution photography.

The photographers we work with use quality equipment with multi flash lighting to highlight your property’s unique selling points

  8. Feedback

You’ll get honest feedback from our open homes

Open homes have always been a key part of our marketing. It gives us a chance to meet with buyers and talk to them about your home, and provides you with honest feedback from genuine buyers.

And to make sure buyers keep thinking about your home, we provide them with a range of quality marketing material to take away with them and read through later.

   9. Accepting an offer

By law, all written offers – irrespective of price – must be presented to you. Our salespeople will be there for advice and will help guide you through the process. Our salespeople are skilled negotiators and will work with the buyer, on your behalf, to get you the best price possible.

Once your offer has been accepted:

• There maybe conditions on the offer, such as the buyers being satisfied with a building report. If so, these will need to be met before the offer becomes unconditional
• Once an agreement is unconditional, neither the buyer or the seller can change their mind, and the buyer must pay the rest of the purchase price on the settlement day
• We’ll hold your house keys at the Barfoot & Thompson office until your solicitor advises us, in writing, that the settlement has taken place
• Deposit payments are made by the buyer to the real estate agency, which is required by law to hold the money in an audited trust account, only releasing when legally authorised to do so                                                                         

   10. Settlement

Settlement day is the date on which the balance for the property is paid. Usually it is the same date as the date the buyers gets possession – the keys – but that is not always the case.

You’ve sold your property. Congratulations!