Tips and recommendations from a realtor for quickly and profitably selling an apartment.

To navigate the real estate market when buying a home, correctly evaluate options and avoid fraud, and find a house or apartment at an affordable price, you need a competent assistant. He is a realtor who provides services to buyers, home sellers, those who want to rent an apartment or warehouse, or exchange their home for real estate in another city.

To those who do not directly interact with people in this profession, it may seem that working with real estate is simple and brings quick money. But, in fact, there are many nuances and complexities in it, just like in other specialties and professions.

First of all, in order to have a good income, a real estate agent constantly needs clients. How can a realtor find clients and successfully conduct transactions, how to remain a sought-after specialist in the market? It is difficult for a newcomer to a real estate agency to gain experience and authority, but experienced specialists have many secrets in their activities.

There are many competitors in this profession; in every city there are a large number of agencies and realtors who prefer to conduct their activities independently. Therefore, it is important to have advantages that can attract the client.

ATTENTION! Over time, authority will work for the agent, good reviews will help to find new customers.

Peculiarities

The functions of a realtor, working in an agency or independently, are varied. This person doesn’t just navigate his clients’ properties, making a profit from the transaction:

In order to constantly earn money in the profession, an agent must have a large base of clients and real estate for sale. It needs to be constantly replenished. Every day, the agent monitors the appearance of new properties, immediately finds out their features and terms of sale.
A good specialist should monitor changes in the housing market and changes in legislation. It is important that clients participate only in safe and legal transactions, so the assistance of a realtor should exclude fraud and violations of the law.
A realtor must be able to evaluate housing based on its technical and operational characteristics. A specialist who values his image and wants to work in this field for a long time and successfully will not advise the customer on an emergency apartment or other housing with a catch.
For fruitful communication with a client, it is advisable to have at least a little understanding of psychology and to know the city well.

Those who want to become a realtor need to know that they will have to work irregularly, meeting with clients on weekends, late in the evening.

Make the most of the Internet

Electronic platforms are actively developing and occupying an increasingly important place in finding clients. The methods of working with people here are in many ways similar to working “in real life.” But there are also differences. We have collected all online methods in one section.

Where and how can a realtor find clients online:

On bulletin boards. Work with them in the same way as with advertisements in newspapers (give yours, study others). But the texts will be different, because print newspapers and online publications have different target audiences.
Organize a mass email campaign. Compose a competent text with a commercial offer, be sure to add your photo, contacts and send letters.
Work in specialized groups on social networks. As a rule, they are all designed for a small area and a specific category of clients - buyers, tenants, etc. Look for offers there and leave your ads. You can also create your own group.
Let's advertise on real estate sites. A beginner has no reason to pay for expensive advertising platforms. But the paid “Urgent” marking is inexpensive and can significantly speed up the sale.
Keep a thematic blog on any suitable portal. You can even repeat it in several places, for example, in different social networks or news publications. The more people see your blog, the better.
Create your website. It doesn’t have to be a serious multi-page website with complex functionality. A well-thought-out landing page is enough. The registration form will provide you with an expansion of your customer base.
Chat on local forums. Leave your contacts and suggestions. Also follow other people's threads. A conversation about buying and selling an apartment can come up anywhere - even among young mothers, even among gamers.

As practice shows, a novice realtor’s first clients appear even before he has time to try all of the listed methods. But this doesn't mean you can stop. Try to work diversified, constantly expand your circle of acquaintances, remind those who already know you about yourself. With this approach, you will definitely achieve success.

Difficulties

Long working hours can pay off with good profits from sales and purchases, rentals or exchanges. But the difficulty of work lies not only in the lack of normal days off.

With a lot of competition, it is difficult to maintain your image, especially for a novice specialist, to constantly find clients and satisfy their requests regarding the purchase or sale of housing. How do realtors look for buyers and maintain their active activities and gain experience?

How to prepare an apartment for sale?

Consequently, the relevant issues of preparing your property for profitability and pleasing to the eye must be approached with the utmost care and seriousness, so it is very important to pay special attention to such points as:

Visible flaws

The obvious disadvantages that can immediately catch the buyer’s eye and possibly scare them off are the trash present in the apartment, and a room with a bunch of unnecessary “junk” does not attract anyone, but only gives it a sloppy and neglected look.

Emptying the apartment from furniture

This does not mean that you should completely leave the apartment for sale empty. Emptiness will not make it presentable.

It is only necessary to free up the space to some extent so that upon entering the room, the buyer can for a while “imagine” himself as the owner of this apartment and “arrange” his furniture the way he wants it.

From a psychological point of view, this technique works with a bang. It is recommended to leave curtains on the windows, upholstered furniture, and fresh flowers will not hurt.

Cleanliness and smell in the house

This is probably one of the important points that you should pay special attention to when selling your property. As a rule, dirt, dust, and musty odors in the house can scare away a client once and for all.

For some discerning and very demanding people, even the inflated cost is not as bad as the present chaos and smoky rooms.

Condition of plumbing

Although many people, when purchasing a new home, change all the existing plumbing fixtures and renovate bathrooms and restrooms, you should not rely on a “happy accident.”

The bathroom and toilet must be clean and tidy. No rust on pipes, limescale deposits or drips on taps, because all this can leave a not very pleasant impression on a potential buyer.

Walls and ceilings

An apartment with dents or dried drips and stains on the ceilings will look completely unattractive, so these “obvious” marks must be gotten rid of by any means.

The walls in the apartment must also be in complete order, which means that there should be no scraps of wallpaper.

In some places it will be possible to tint something, and in other places it can be glued. The main thing is that the apartment has a presentable appearance.

A clean and bright apartment will definitely evoke only positive emotions and sympathy from the buyer.

Database formation

There are several proven methods that have already proven themselves in the work of real estate agents:

Many real estate office workers begin to look for clients among their friends, relatives, and neighbors. A newcomer to this field can ask friends to spread information about his activities.
If you think carefully, you can remember a whole list of people you can contact and offer your services in the present or future. It is advisable to have stylish business cards with contact information. And business cards can catch the eye of complete strangers, which will also increase your customer database.
Finding clients is not so easy; you need to spend time, effort, and sometimes even money. You should set aside more than one hour of time to call all the people with whom you are in some kind of contact. You can write to them by email or on a social network. Each realtor needs to promote his name independently.
You should talk about your services in competent literary language, talking about assistance in finding housing or a buyer for an apartment.

Even the agency does not advertise its employees; only real efforts produce the necessary results. You shouldn't be too intrusive when presenting your services.

ATTENTION! Friendliness, subtle humor, efficiency - these qualities will make a good name.

Showcase already sold properties

An Internet marketing specialist from the Rose Real Estate agency advises showing potential buyers already sold properties. For example, if a person is looking for housing in a certain area, show him properties you have already sold in the same location. This way you can collect information about those who want to buy or rent property in a particular location.

Make sure your ad directs users to a landing page where they can learn more about your services.

Help from professionals

There is a category of people who, due to their work, constantly have information about who is getting married, who needs new housing due to the birth of a child, who has moved to the city and needs a permanent home.

Such “useful contacts” can be used profitably in the work of a real estate agent. Who will always replenish the client base with new and up-to-date information?

Employees of housing offices, management companies, and various utility companies often communicate with residents of apartment buildings. And they may know about upcoming plans to purchase an apartment. If you leave them agent business cards or simply maintain constant contact with them, you can receive the latest and most verified data.
It is not surprising that those who participate in organizing and holding family celebrations may also have the necessary information. For example, the host at a wedding may hear that a young couple will be looking for a house or apartment for themselves.
But funeral agency workers will tell you about the possible sale of a home at a particular address. They serve bereaved families and may have important information.

Such information that “informants” will provide will significantly help increase the number of clients. And it wouldn’t hurt to be grateful for your help.

Chat with grandmothers at the entrances

This method allows you to expand your “coverage area” beyond your friends. And expanding your social circle is a simple answer to the question of how to find clients for a novice realtor. Start meeting new people directly on your territory.

The most useful people in this case are concierges, janitors, and grandmothers on benches at entrances. They are usually the first to know who is moving into their home. The main thing is to choose the right approach, and the information is in your hands.

Advice. It is best to explain to the grandmothers that your client is going to buy an apartment in their house, and therefore you, as an exemplary realtor, are obliged to find out the situation. Ask them about the condition of the house, furnishings, occupants, etc. People will love that you work so hard and are sincerely interested in their opinion. They will tell you about everything, including apartments that are already on sale or may be on sale in the near future.

Work on sites

A good realtor will not sit in the agency all the time, waiting for a lucky break. Now there are enough ways to contact any real estate office, any of its employees. There are telephones, email, social networks, website services.

To recruit clients, you need to work in the city, study supply and demand, specific apartments for sale. And it’s worth conducting your search for service customers with the help of residents of various microdistricts.

Near every house you can find elderly people relaxing on a bench, young mothers walking with their children. You can contact them, introduce yourself, tell them about your work and ask for help and advice. Perhaps they will talk about apartments for sale or simply take business cards to distribute to friends.

IMPORTANT! It is necessary for strangers to trust the realtor, so you should have an identification card with you.

Post advertisements in your area

This method is labor-intensive, but very effective. According to psychologists, it is precisely this kind of advertising that becomes the impetus for action when the client is in doubt about the method of selling or buying an apartment.

What subtleties are there in posting advertisements:

The offer must be specific - about the purchase of a two-room Khrushchev-era apartment or the sale of a one-room Stalinist apartment. You cannot write that you buy anything. Nobody likes a buyer.
Post advertisements only in designated places. You don't need fines.
Place the leaf at chest level. Not everyone walks with their heads held high, and, moreover, not everyone looks up at the posts and boards.
Posting must be carried out efficiently - carefully, reliably and in full. If you entrust this work to third-party workers, be sure to monitor the quality. Not all hired pasters work conscientiously.
The minimum number of advertisements is 200–300 pieces. Otherwise, efficiency cannot be achieved.
It is convenient to combine posting with other activities, for example, distributing leaflets through mailboxes.

Advice. In addition to small pieces of paper, make larger announcements or even beautiful posters. They can be placed in places where your potential clients often visit. These are courts, passport offices, housing offices, technical inventory bureaus, etc. Agree on accommodation for a small fee. Ideally, you should glue a transparent pocket to the poster and leave your flyers or business cards in it.

Where can I advertise?

Advertising moves both goods and services. And she is an important ally for the real estate agent if he wants to operate successfully and profitably in his place. A competent specialist looks for clients and presents his services at the same time. You can develop a variety of types of advertising, using them for your own purposes:

It is important to present yourself favorably at all kinds of social events.
Despite the constant expansion of the Internet, print publications also remain popular platforms for advertising. You can advertise your services in both real estate newspapers and the regular advertising press. Older people will read an advertisement in a newspaper faster than on a website page.
The advertising industry offers many printed products for information about services. Various leaflets, prospectuses, business cards - you can order such sources of information for yourself at least at the beginning of your career.
Real estate agencies and private realtors actively use advertisements for the sale or purchase of an apartment, posted on notice boards at entrances. All residents see them, the phone is easily disconnected, so the advertisements are always effective and bring good results.\

Various meetings, exhibitions, and receptions are constantly organized in every city. They provide a place for profitable clients for realtors who sell or buy expensive real estate, including commercial real estate. And the agent’s income also depends on the price of the object. Therefore, you should not miss this chance to find a customer.

You need to be attentive to other advertisements for sale or purchase. Often they are given by the property owners themselves if they do not want to work with an agency or do not know how to find a good realtor.

You should explain to them the benefits of cooperation with you, and, if possible, inform them about existing applicants for the purchase of housing . The conversation should be calm, friendly, and inspiring trust. It is worth presenting data about yourself and your experience.

Even if the apartment owner wanted to look for a buyer on his own, the presence of a ready-made buyer will persuade him to cooperate with a real estate agent.

The most effective method of disseminating information seems simple at first glance, but this matter also has its own nuances. Ads can only be posted in designated areas.

Many cities have adopted regulations prohibiting the posting of advertisements, including those for the sale of real estate, on house doors, walls, trees, poles and other surfaces. Violation of this rule can result in a hefty fine.

If the city administration cares about its cleanliness and order, special notice boards are placed throughout the locality, and they are posted at each entrance:

Such an advertisement should be concise, understandable, and contain specific information. A few words and a phone number are enough.
If we are talking about a specific apartment, you need to indicate the number of rooms, location in the city, and several other information. You can also specify the price.
Announcements can be typed on a computer or done by hand. Handwritten texts about selling or buying are of interest to those who want to deal directly with the home owner.
You need to tape off areas methodically, not missing courtyards and houses, because realtors don’t know where potential clients live. The text should be at such a height that anyone can read it without effort.
You can post advertisements yourself or with the help of a specially hired person. But he must be responsible, decent, and fully fulfill his duties. His work is paid and must produce results. You can negotiate this with someone you know who you can trust.

Internet resources and cooperation with developers

You should definitely take advantage of the possibilities of the Internet. It is not necessary for the agency to have its own website; it is enough for it to include information about itself on a common resource for city agencies.

On the pages of special services you can present your advertisements for sale or purchase; it is advisable to accompany them with photographs of objects and useful information about them.

ATTENTION! Real estate agencies can enter into agreements with developers, offering their services in finding buyers for new apartments. This is beneficial, since there is great interest in new buildings, and you can work on many objects at once.

There are many ways to find clients; experienced agents use each of them to their advantage, without missing out on any opportunities. If at the beginning of work you have to spend a lot of time and effort filling the database, then more time can be devoted to specific transactions.

Is it possible to quickly sell an apartment on your own?

If you decide to sell an apartment on your own, you must clearly understand that you will have to study the supply market, prepare and put in order the necessary documents, and spend significant time and financial resources on advertising the properties. Answer yourself very honestly: “Am I capable of this kind of work?” If you need to sell an apartment urgently and deadlines are running out, think about whether it’s worth taking risks and relying only on yourself? Some sellers entertain themselves with the illusion that their apartment is the best and will be bought as soon as they place the first advertisement for sale. In reality, everything is much more complicated.

Let us list the main erroneous judgments that often arise among inexperienced real estate sellers.

1. Selling an apartment is easy and quick; the help of a realtor will be superfluous.

Unfortunately, it is not. Now the real estate market is overcrowded, i.e. the number of offers is many times higher than the demand, so an easy and instant sale is possible only in two cases. Either by a happy coincidence, or if you offer your property at a very low cost. Unless you are a real estate professional, selling is unlikely to be easy.

2. I will place several advertisements and people will definitely call me!

If you simply place only 2-3 ads on online sites, most likely they will get lost in the list of similar offers on the same day. To increase the likelihood of a quick sale, you need to invest significant resources in advertising and do it wisely, choosing effective advertising platforms and methods of promoting ads.

3. My apartment is the best, they will buy it for the price that I indicate in the ad.

Many sellers want much more for their apartment than its real market value. It will not be possible to sell an apartment quickly with this approach. By setting a high price, you will wait for “your” buyer for more than one month. If you have gotten rid of the above illusions and soberly assess your capabilities, you can try to sell the apartment on your own. If insurmountable difficulties arise during the process (lack of calls, difficulties with preparing documents), it would be advisable to turn to professionals.

Where to find a good realtor - review of the TOP 5 companies providing real estate services

There are dozens of real estate agencies in every city, where anyone can hire a realtor for any legally permitted transactions with housing.

To make it easier for our readers to choose an intermediary, we have reviewed the five most reliable and trusted companies in the capital market. Please note that some of the listed companies have branches in other cities of the Russian Federation.

1) SB Realty

One of the leading companies in its field in the capital. Since the early 2000s, the agency has been helping individuals and corporate clients purchase, sell, rent and lease residential and commercial real estate.

Here you can buy housing not only in the Russian Federation, but also abroad, in particular in Spain. The company actively cooperates with leading Russian banks - Sberbank, VTB, Promsvyazbank. This helps provide clients with favorable conditions for mortgage loans and provides additional security guarantees.

2) INCOM

A quarter of a century in the real estate market. Assistance in the sale, purchase, rental and exchange of apartments to citizens and legal entities. Assistance in obtaining a mortgage from the largest banks in the country, favorable lending conditions.

The company operates in the market of Moscow and the region. Guarantees legal purity in any transactions and always takes into account the interests of the client. The staff employs only professional realtors, who have dozens of successfully closed transactions.

3) Octava-Real Estate

Sale, purchase, exchange, privatization, rental of housing in the capital and the Moscow region. A reliable and successful agency operating since 1992. Provides a full range of professional real estate services.

The company's employees have experience in conducting complex transactions from a legal and financial point of view. Unusual housing situations and non-standard real estate properties do not frighten Oktava realtors: they take on any matter if they can help the client solve his problem.

4) MGSN

The Moscow City Real Estate Service has over 20 years of experience. Provides high-quality professional services to sellers, buyers, and landlords. The company is well versed in current trends in the real estate market and adjusts its work in accordance with the trends of the times. The list of other advantages includes a focus on the legal reliability of operations, low tariffs, and the professionalism of full-time realtors.

Through the agency, you can take out a home loan from a bank on more favorable terms. On the site you can consult an online consultant.

5) EGSN

Unified City Real Estate Service is a company established in 2003. The agency staff consists of only qualified and experienced realtors who are well versed in the current situation on the real estate market.

The company has an impeccable reputation in professional circles and is popular among ordinary users. The company has hundreds of successful closed transactions. EGSN guarantees its clients security, confidentiality, and legal purity. All real estate transactions carried out by the company are necessarily insured.