The key facts for anyone thinking about putting their home on the market in 2021.

Selling a property isn’t always straightforward. In a fast-moving world, experience, transparency and trust become important factors in the home-selling process – all underpinned by local expertise and global insights. If you’ve started to think about making a real estate move, here’s what you need to consider to get the best result.  

Atlas insights for the 2021 market

This year is shaping up to be an incredible one for real estate. In 2020, we saw hundreds of thousands of expats return home to Australia and plenty of buyers seeking to upgrade their homes. This, teamed with a lack of supply, pushed up property prices.

“In 2020, our homes had to act as home offices, gyms and schools,” says Christine Mikhael, Chief Performance Officer at Atlas. “They were really put under a lot of pressure.”

This year, expect the same trend.

“We’re going to see the exact same patterns this year with more returning expats, more foreign buyers and low interest rates,” says Christine.

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Choosing a real estate agent

Selling your home can be stressful; a lot is at stake. Trusting the team working for you is paramount, but how do you find the right agent? The witness test.

Attend a few open homes in your area and instead of looking at the home, focus on the agent.  “How that agent is representing their client is how they’re going to represent you,” explains Christine.

Look for a lead agent at the property, with support staff trained to answer questions. Beyond that, “ensure they’re asking engaging questions, ascertain if they’re providing accurate information about the house and giving you transparency around the price guide,” she says.

The agent’s role goes beyond the open house. Following the open for inspection, go on the buyer journey: consider how long it takes the agent to respond to questions and the quality of their follow-up call. Adds Christine, “You’re looking for someone who goes beyond their call of duty, who offers transparency and up-to-the-minute updates.”

If you like the way the agent makes you feel as a potential buyer, you can safely put that agent on your short list.

 Experience in your local area is also essential.

“The Atlas team comprises experienced agents who have been working in their area for years. Some of the team have more than 10 years’ experience and others close to 20. We know the market,” says Christine.

The real estate agency model

Depending on the agency structure, an agent may be required to wear many hats. This can come with challenges.

When choosing an agent, how their agency supports them can be important to your sale. Choosing an agency is more than choosing the look and feel of your marketing materials; how your agent is supported can make all the difference.

Atlas has a centralised support team, which provides every agent with access to experts in marketing, admin, photography, compliance, technology and more. This means your agent focuses on the sale of your property, instead of being stuck behind a desk.

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The importance of transparency

Transparency makes a huge difference to your real estate journey. Having open conversations about price with your agent is important, as is managing your expectations.

It’s not until a home is officially on the market that a realistic price guide can be established. This part of the process can be frustrating for sellers, so regular communication with an agent is key in conveying market feedback.

Pricing is never ‘set and forget’. Whether you find yourself selling in a rising or declining market, accurate pricing is imperative in achieving a premium price.

Atlas aims to reduce ambiguity in the sales process with its exclusive Atlas app. It enables clients to see how their campaign is performing, from how many clicks the listing is getting to post-open home feedback.

“The technology automates a lot of the back-end workflow,” explains Christine. “It allows our agents to perform at the highest level, dealing with buyers and sellers, as opposed to spending time on administration.”

How global trends impact you

When we think about real estate, we tend to focus on only a handful of suburbs. But what’s happening across the country, consumer sentiment, interest rates and even global events have an impact on the local market – often in positive ways.

“With the current trends of returning ex-pats and foreign investment, a global brand can attract global buyers,” says Christine.

What does that mean for you as a seller? You can be assured that the Atlas team is going above and beyond to get you the best buyer and result.

That’s the Atlas difference.

To learn more about why now is a great time to sell, book an appraisal here.