Top 10 mistakes to avoid when selling your property

I've made a list, checked it twice, so you can avoid the most common and potentially costly pitfalls when it comes to selling your property.

Years of experience in this industry has taught me that shortcuts leave you short-changed, despite what you might read on the internet or hear from your mate at the pub. Selling your property is a massive event, so I've pulled together a list of things to watch out for when you decide to put your house on the market.
 

Overpricing the property, against recommendations

Too often, people want or hope for a figure that might not be realistic. Worst case scenario: you set an unrealistic price, the property sits on the market longer than you want, bills are piling up in the transition to your next home, and you end up selling for even less than the price guide. With time on the market, you've lost your negotiating position. Now you're in a financial pickle. Don't shoot for the stars; be realistic when it comes to pricing.

Listing with a real estate agent based on commission %

I've seen this time and time again. A person calls and asks, "how much do you charge?" Most agents charge a similar fee, but there are those willing to cut their commission to get the listing. You could be buying an inexperienced or a low performing real estate agent, which means your small fee might end up being the most expensive choice because you miss out on a premium sale price. Or if the property isn't selling, you end up paying more to start again when you bring in an experienced agent to clean up the mess.

Not investing in advertising

A lot of owners don't see the benefit of advertising. This is very straightforward: you can't sell a secret. The more people see it, means more potential buyers, they compete against each other, and the price goes up. It's simple market forces at work, and you have to be visible to work it to your advantage. 

Choosing a real estate agent who flies solo

You might think that this means more care and attention. But working without a support team, an agent may be putting up a sign in Dapto while you've got a buyer for your property in Thirroul and they want to see the place. Then there are all the admin duties they have to do themselves, which all adds up to being spread thin and spending less time working on selling your property. Whereas having a support team means their attention is focussed on getting you a premium price and you have support even if your agent is on holidays.

Poor property presentation

A property could tick the regular boxes of price, features, location and so on, but buyers don't want to make a substantial financial and emotional investment only to be unhappy down the track. This means that managing perception is vital. Clean up the yard, pack away tools, toys and anything else that looks out of place. Inside, you want the home to smell good. A bit of ambient music helps set the mood during inspections. Make sure your property leaves a positive, lasting first impression.

Choosing the wrong method of sale

Some agencies will push you toward auction, no matter what. But unless the property is exceptionally unique, hard to price, or the market is red hot, an auction is not the way to go. There are exceptions, but generally, if there's enough sales evidence to establish a price, there's a fair amount of competition, an auction is not best for the vendor, it's best for the agent. There are multiple ways to sell a property, from auction to tenders, and the method used is based on market conditions, the property type, supply, how the property is marketed and much more. An experienced real estate agent knows which method is the most effective for your property and your personal situation.

Avoiding holding open house sessions

We hold open houses because that's what the buyers want. There are properties and circumstances where it's not appropriate, but generally speaking, the best results are achieved when you tidy the place up, throw the doors open, and let people have a good look around. Picture this: a young couple like what they see and ask about the process to make an offer, and across the other side of the room, someone hears that, and they want to make an offer too. Latecomers see people walking around talking about offers and a line up of keen buyers waiting to speak with the agent and wanting to get in on the action. They all want this house. It's now game on. They don't need to be told to make a good offer; they will. That's the power of an open house and social proof.

Taking Advice from the Wrong People Can Cost You Thousands

One of the most common (and costly) mistakes I see sellers make is listening to friends, family, or neighbours who mean well—but have no real experience in the property market having, like most people, been through the process once or twice in their lives.

You know the ones:
“You should wait until spring” “My mate sold his for way more than that!”

The problem? These people aren’t qualified. They’re basing their advice on hearsay, past experiences, or outdated assumptions—not current market data or real-time buyer behaviour.

I’ve seen sellers ignore professional advice, price themselves out of competition, or hold off selling based on someone’s casual comment over a weekend BBQ.”

The truth is: the wrong advice, even with good intentions, can delay your sale, cost you serious money, or lose the right buyer entirely, So if you're selling your biggest asset, do yourself a favour—listen to the people with real skin in the game.

Thinking you'll save money by selling privately

If it were that easy, everybody would do it. Say you sell your property for $1 million, you save the 2% agent's fee, pocketing $20,000. Happy days. In reality, most of the time an excellent agent would have gotten you a premium price, not only paying for themselves but getting anywhere up to 10% extra or sometimes more. You just gave away tens of thousands of dollars. Why? Because agents not only market your property well, we are skilled negotiators and we have taken the time to understand the current market conditions and use this to our advantage. Most home owners are I'll informed and too emotionally tied to the sale to play hardball when needed and I've seen it. Don't gamble with a big asset leave it to a professional agent who does it for a living.

Not getting contact details from property inspections

Don't choose and agent who doesn't follow up! First, during an open house, I'm responsible for the security of the property, and I take that seriously. Getting people to sign in and show ID when required helps keep people honest and we have correct contact info. The main reason to get contact details and check them is that you, the vendor, want me to chase down every lead. I can't make follow up calls and ask what they thought, do they want another look, and so on, if I don't have their contact information. It's a basic but too often overlooked part of the job.

The take-home message here is to talk to us early in the process so we can guide you through it, give you sound advice, and help you get a premium price. Start with a free appraisal, so you have an up-to-date price guide for your home.