Why Use An Estate Agent?
Selling your home is a big decision.
It can be exciting and worrying at the same time.
We often hear that, along with changing jobs, divorce or bereavement, moving house is one of life’s most stressful events.
On the other hand, if you make the most of the experience and knowledge of a local estate agent, you will be able to market and sell your property in way which relieves you of much of the pressure. So, why use an estate agent?
What an Estate Agent does for you
Estimating the value of your home is crucial in setting your expectations and allowing you to plan your budget for your house move.
Getting the right value
If you’re selling your house, you will hope to get more for it than you paid to buy it.
An experienced estate agent will bring objectivity to the process of valuation. The following factors will be important in reaching an estimated value:
- How buoyant the local property market is;
- The general state of your property;
- The general condition of similar properties in the neighbourhood; and
- The sale prices of local properties similar to your own.
Taking these matters into account, an estate agent with experience of the local market ought to be able to assess a realistic price for the property.
Marketing the property
Once the ‘asking price’ has been decided, your house needs to be advertised for sale. Proper marketing goes well beyond having a “For Sale” sign outside the property and particular is in the estate agency window. It will include exposure of your property on various websites, as well as social media.
Negotiations leading to a sale
Skilled estate agents are adept at balancing the interests of the seller – who wants the best possible return on investment in their property – with those of the buyer – who wants to pay a fair price.
From your point of view, as the seller, you will want to discuss with your estate agent your expectations in terms of sale price.
Your estate agent will help by communicating and setting the expectations of the parties, so as to move the negotiations forward to the point of an agreed sale as soon as possible.
The benefit of solicitor backing
Many estate agents do not have support from an in-house team of property lawyers. If you use the estate agency services of a firm of solicitors, you have the reassurance of knowing that any legal problems which arise during the marketing phase can be considered by a qualified solicitor. It also means that, when you move beyond the estate agency to the actual sale, you have specialist lawyers on hand to deal with all the paperwork, ensuring that the matter is progressed as quickly as possible.
Where the estate agent is not part of a firm of solicitors, it is likely that the legal formalities in connection with the sale will have to be handled by separate solicitors, usually not local to you.
Why Grigor & Young?
Servicing Moray for Estate Agency
Grigor & Young is a law firm based in Elgin and Forres, Moray, with almost 200 years of history.
As solicitors, we are able to offer more than most other estate agencies, having in-house lawyers to complement the estate agency team.
We offer a service which is tailored to your needs – personal, professional and friendly.
If you are considering selling your home and would prefer to deal with a local estate agent, familiar with the property market in Moray and the surrounding area, who will provide your property with maximum exposure, contact the team at Grigor & Young.
Given our office locations in Forres and Elgin, we cover the following towns and areas of Moray most frequently:
- Aberlour
- Burghead
- Craigellachie
- Duffus
- Elgin
- Findhorn
- Fochabers
- Forres
- Garmouth and Kingston
- Hopeman
- Kinloss
- Lhanbryde
- Lossiemouth
- Mosstodloch
- Rothes
- Speyside
- Urquhart
How we can help
For the answers to any questions you may have about selling your home, contact us today via our Free Online Enquiry or call on 01343 544077.
All initial enquiries are free of charge and without obligation.