How to sell an apartment quickly, profitably and safely

Every person during his life at least once faced with the need to sell an apartment. Selling real estate is a rather difficult and troublesome business, which, moreover, can take several months, especially if you want to get real value for it. But if you know all the subtleties of this process, you can meet the deadline from 2 weeks to a month. So, let's figure out how to quickly and profitably sell an apartment.

• How to sell an apartment: the main ways
• 10 tips on how to quickly sell an apartment
• Where to sell an apartment
• How to write an advertisement for the sale of an apartment
• How to conclude a contract for the sale of an apartment
• How to get money for an apartment

How to sell an apartment: the main ways

There are two main ways to sell real estate:

1. through a realtor;
2. self sale.

Selling through a realtor. Most often, people resort to the help of professionals - specialized real estate agencies. In most cases, realtors take on the main chores: they put the object up for sale, prepare and execute all documents, organize viewings and accompany the transaction from beginning to end. In addition, realtors guarantee the security of the transaction.

Along with the pluses, selling through realtors has its drawbacks, which include the risk of running into scammers, as well as the need to pay for services - usually from 1% to 5% of the cost of the apartment. Given the high cost of square meters, this is quite an impressive amount.

self sale. Many people are interested in the question of whether it is possible to sell an apartment without a realtor. Yes, you can, and when selling an apartment, there are less risks than when buying. In doing so, you need to be prepared:

1. Independently advertise the sale of an apartment;
2. show the apartment to potential buyers;
3. carefully read the contract of sale (read more about the conclusion of the contract below);
4. independently prepare all the necessary package of documents (list here);
5. independently organize a purchase and sale transaction, as well as make settlements with the buyer.

But if you are confident in your abilities and do not want to overpay, then you can organize the whole process yourself, especially since the sales scheme has long been worked out.

There is another option for a quick sale - an urgent buyout. You can sell an apartment to an agency, but at the same time you will receive 20-30% less than its real market value.

Let's look at the main rules of a quick sale.

First rule. Study the ads and statistics of the sale of apartments in your area.

This will help you determine the price, as well as understand how long it can be realized. You can go even further and go see these apartments as a potential buyer. Usually the most liquid objects are modern odnushki.

Second rule: how to set a price

First of all, you need to understand exactly how much your apartment is really worth (many owners initially overestimate its value). Remember that the price of an apartment is inversely proportional to the speed of sale. If you are in a hurry, you can reduce the price by 5-10%. Another option is to put the average market price, but indicate the possibility of bargaining. Measure the number of calls before and after the price cut to see if there is demand.

The following factors affect the price of an apartment:

• footage (this is the main factor);
• a new building or an old fund (new buildings with repairs are valued more expensively. An exception may be "stalinka"). If housing is sold on the secondary market, the type of house and its technical condition matter;
• district (center or outskirts, prestigious or not);
• the condition of the apartment/renovation (not all people are ready to make repairs from scratch, so having a livable repair will be a plus. However, it’s not worth it to make repairs on purpose before selling);
• which floor (the first and last cost 10-15% cheaper).

These are the five main factors that affect the price. The presence of a protected area, concierge, parking can increase the price. The easiest way is to check the price with realtors (preferably several) and see the price in similar ads.

Third rule. Advertise your apartment

Do not spare time and money for this: remember that your ad should be seen by as many people as possible. If you are selling a home with a realtor, he will include your property in his database, but nothing prevents you from giving additional advertising. It is important that your ad is seen by as many people as possible. Use all message boards, as well as paid features (VIP, raising / highlighting an ad, etc.)

How and where to submit an ad, read here.

Fourth rule. Create a smart sale ad

We will talk about this in detail below, but remember the main rules - the ad must contain several photos and as much information as possible, with an emphasis on the merits of the apartment.

Fifth rule. Connect word of mouth

Despite all the possibilities of the Internet, buyers can be found among your friends' acquaintances.

Sixth rule. Don't gloss over flaws

You don’t need to focus on them, but you shouldn’t completely ignore them either. If you have an apartment on the top floor, or the view from the window is not very good, or there is a sitting bath in the bathroom - write about it. Otherwise, potential buyers will be disappointed when viewing and are more likely to abandon the purchase.

Seventh rule. Looking for someone who wants to buy an apartment

People place ads not only for sale, but also for purchase. Look for your buyer!

Eighth rule. Make pre-sale preparation

The first impression matters a lot. There is a very popular direction - homestaging, or homestyling, in other words - the process of preparing real estate for sale. This is not about a full-fledged repair, but about simple things that, nevertheless, can significantly increase the chances of a sale:

• spring-cleaning;
• getting rid of all old unnecessary things and unpleasant odors (in other words, the apartment should not look cluttered. The more free space, the better);
• minor repairs (cover up cracks and cracks, glue wallpaper, put plumbing in order, lubricate hinges on doors, etc.).

Bright and clean apartments sell best, with little or no furniture and personal belongings of the owner. By the way, not only the condition of the apartment matters, but also the condition of the entrance. If the entrance is dirty, this will significantly reduce your chances. It is better to arrange in advance with the cleaning lady so that she does the cleaning on the eve of the viewing.

Ninth rule. Make a smart presentation

You must be polite and friendly, and not embarrassed, answer tricky questions.

• "Who are the neighbors?"
• Why are you selling your home?
• Are the documents ready?

Offer customers tea or coffee. Focus on the benefits of the apartment. Tell couples with children about kindergartens and schools, tell older buyers about how calm your area is.

Tenth rule. Prepare documents in advance

If you are selling without a realtor, you will have to take care of this yourself. Don't wait until you find a buyer - get your sled ready in the summer. It may well be that the buyer wants to immediately conclude an agreement, and the lack of documents will delay the process or even force him to refuse the transaction. Prepare in advance and keep on hand:

1. certificate of registration of ownership of the apartment (this document must be kept by you);
2. an agreement or other document on the basis of which you are the owner;
3. technical plan (ordered at Rosreestr or BTI, term - several days, price - from 1200 rubles);
4. extract from the USRN (ordered at Rosreestr or MFC, cost - 250 rubles for the electronic version and 400 rubles for the paper version, term - 3 working days, can be ordered online on the Rosreestr website);
5. extract from the house book (issued to the owner at the passport office free of charge, usually on the same day, but its validity period is up to 30 days)
6. certificates of no rent arrears (taken from the Criminal Code or HOA, immediately and free of charge).

If you have a spouse, prepare his consent to the transaction in advance. And if one of the owners is a child, you need the consent of the guardianship authorities. Even if you do not have time to prepare the entire package of documents for the first show, at least make sure that there will be no problems and delays in receiving the papers.

Where to sell an apartment

In the twenty-first century, people are increasingly buying and selling online. There are many websites and free classifieds boards where you can post an advertisement for the sale of an apartment. Let's look at the main ones:

How to sell an apartment on Avito

Avito is the most famous free classifieds board in Russia. She does not specialize specifically in real estate, but has a huge audience reach.

Some of the ads on Avito are paid, but if you are not a realtor, but are selling your own apartment, then in most regions you can submit one ad per month for free.

Also on the site you can view all the ads on the request "buy an apartment" in your region and contact the buyer yourself

You can also use the additional paid features of Avito to highlight your ad.

How to sell an apartment on Domofond

On this site you can find many useful information about real estate- articles, reviews and advice. You can also view ads for properties for sale and submit your own. However, if you have already submitted an ad on Avito, then it will automatically go to the Domofond website within 24 hours, subject to the rules of this site.

How to sell an apartment on Yandex Real Estate

Another of the popular services - Yandex Real Estate, also makes it possible to advertise the sale of an apartment for free and use paid services.

There are dozens of other free boards and websites where you can advertise your apartment for sale. We have considered only the most popular of them.

How to write an advertisement for the sale of an apartment

A good ad significantly increases the chances of selling an apartment. Let's look at the main rules for its compilation.

1. First of all, review the rules of the service where you will place an ad, as well as examples of similar ads on this resource.
2. Add an ad and upload photos. They sell as well as text!

• It is best to order a photo from a professional
• In no case should the photo be a mess or rubbish!

• There should be a lot of photos, and they should show the whole apartment, preferably from different angles.

• If you have a beautiful entrance and / or a good view from the window, do not forget to take a picture of them too.

• Avoid mistakes such as photographing in front of a window during the daytime, as well as cropped photos

3. Carefully fill in all the required fields of the ad

4. Make a beautiful description with an emphasis on the merits of the apartment.

• Indicate all the advantages of the area, the house and the apartment itself.
• Do not abbreviate words and feel free to use epithets (but do not overdo it!). Your description should not be dry.
• If the apartment has obvious flaws, point them out.
• You can't lie in an ad! Your goal is to tell the truth, but present it in a very “tasty” and presentable way. You can use ideas from similar ads, but don't copy them.

5. Consider paid placement options. As a rule, they are not too expensive, but they can significantly increase the chances of your ad.

With the help of these tips, you can easily sell an apartment within a month and get a real market price for it or even more.

How to conclude a contract for the sale of an apartment

When a buyer is found, a contract must be concluded with him. Usually, a preliminary contract is first concluded, and the buyer leaves a deposit. A little later, they sign the final contract of sale.

The conclusion of the contract is a very slippery moment for the seller, but especially for the buyer. In the event that something goes wrong, it will be possible to get back the money (or apartment) only through the court, where you will need to present a contract of sale. And the decision of the court will largely depend on what exactly is spelled out in the contract. That is why both the seller and, first of all, the buyer should try to protect themselves as much as possible.

What must be included in a pre-purchase agreement:

1. Full name of the buyer and seller, their passport data.
2. Confirmation of the seller that he is capable, and the apartment has no encumbrances.
3. The exact address and all the characteristics of the object being sold (area, number of rooms, cadastral number, etc.).
4. The total amount of the transaction in rubles.
5. Deposit amount.
6. The condition that the deposit is not returned if the buyer refuses the transaction without good justified reasons.
7. The term for the conclusion of the contract of sale.
8. The deadline for the current owner to vacate the property.
9. Responsibility of the parties for violation of the terms of the contract.
10. It is possible to prescribe who bears additional expenses (rental of safe deposit boxes in a bank, state fees, payment for registering a transaction, etc.).
11. Date of conclusion
12. Signatures of the parties.

Here is a sample pre-purchase agreement:

After the set time has elapsed, the parties sign a contract of sale, which confirms the transfer of ownership. It is drawn up in the same way as the preliminary contract, with the exception of paragraphs 5, 6 and 7 - instead of them, the term and procedure for final payments for the apartment are prescribed.

An example of a contract can be seen here:

A contract for the sale of real estate can be registered with a notary, but this is not necessary (with the exception of some cases stipulated by law, such as the sale of a share in an apartment, the sale of an apartment owned by a minor or a person with limited legal capacity, as well as a sale under a life dependent agreement). The buyer can insist on registering the contract with a notary - as a party that is more at risk when making a transaction. In this case, he pays for the services of a notary.

How to get money for an apartment

Getting money is the second slippery moment when selling an apartment. At what point should the seller receive the full payment? This usually happens not at the time of signing the contract of sale, but immediately after the registration of the transaction.

This can happen in 2 ways:

• through a bank account;
• through special letters of credit.

Let's look at both options. In the first case, the buyer puts money in a cell in the presence of the seller and bank employees, after which he does not have access to this cell. Only the seller can get access, but after he shows the contract of sale registered with Rosreestr. The controlling third party is the bank, as well as realtors (if the transaction is made through them).

Letters of credit are analogous to a bank cell. The buyer transfers money there and loses access to them, and the seller can receive the entire amount after the transaction is registered. Everything is the same, only payments are made by bank transfer. This method is considered more civilized.

Be sure to consider the moment of transferring money to protect you.

Now you know how to quickly and profitably sell an apartment, as well as how to get its full value.