Who wants to sell his property, first thinks about the possible proceeds that a sale would achieve. In the past, relying solely on the expertise of an appraiser or estate agent, today offers other solutions. Even for small amounts, the well-known real estate portals promise an objective rating of your home or apartment. Consider the pros and cons of these three alternatives.
expert
Appraisers for real estate valuations are often civil engineers or architects with many years of professional experience. Your assignment should be made in cases where it could possibly lead to disputes such as divorces or inheritance disputes. Make sure, however, that the expert is publicly appointed and sworn, otherwise the report has no value in a judicial dispute. It is important to know that an expert uses various methods to determine the current sales value of the property. The "objective" value, however, says nothing about the price at which the property can be offered and sold, this determines the market environment alone. Please also note that the costs are not insignificant. They can be up to 1,5% of the selling price, so be sure to clarify the fee before placing the order.
Real estate portals
For small money the big real estate portals offer "real valuations". Just fill in some fields and you're done. However, the problems are manifold: apart from the land value, which every seller can query for his property on the Internet, there are no objective evaluation criteria. The portals only work with comparative values, which means that they are compared with real estate that has been offered in the vicinity of your property via the portal in the past. However, the price that was last in the real estate ad, is almost never the actual retail price. And even more important: apples are not comparable to pears. The maintenance and condition of the property, necessary investments or legacies, all these factors are not included in the online rating. In-house research has shown that online reviews for 30 to 40% were below or above our ratings.
Real Estate Agents
A reputable real estate agent with appropriate training and experience applies the same evaluation procedures as an expert. But it has the additional advantage that it can accurately assess the market environment, the purchase price development and the marketing potential on the basis of the currently existing demand side. In addition, the seller receives suggestions on how the value of the property can be increased through refurbishment, modernization and / or energy measures. As a rule, the evaluation by a qualified real estate agent is free.
Conclusion
The owners should always leave the valuation of their property to either an expert or an experienced broker. Online reviews are completely unsuitable for this.