Selling a house with or without a real estate agent?
Although most people still neatly list their house for sale through a real estate agent, more and more people are choosing to arrange the sale independently. Not surprising, as it saves them a lot of money! But before you enthusiastically put a sign in your yard: first read below the advantages and disadvantages of selling with or without a real estate agent. Discover 'intermediate options' for hiring a real estate agent at a reduced rate. And find out what you need to consider when selling on your own.
Go directly to:
- Sell house without real estate agent
- Useful documents
- Sell house with real estate agent
- Handy real estate agent partial services
Sell house without real estate agent
Can you sell your house yourself?
Yes, you can. It is not mandatory to hire a real estate agent for selling your home. More and more people are taking control and going through the sales process without a real estate agent. It probably won't surprise you what their biggest reason is for not hiring a real estate agent: the real estate agent fees.
What are the advantages of selling your house without a real estate agent?
The biggest advantage of selling your home yourself is found in the wallet. You quickly save thousands of euros. Additionally, as a seller, you can decide when the viewings take place. A quick viewing in between, in the evening, or on the weekend is just possible. You are not dependent on the working hours of the real estate agent and are therefore much more flexible. This is appreciated by potential buyers.
Buyers can generally appreciate being shown around by you as the seller. You know everything about the neighborhood, the neighbors, and the house itself. You can tell them much more than a real estate agent. Conversely, it's also nice that you directly see which people are interested. Of course, you want to sell your home to people you have a good feeling about. A nice bonus to treat your neighbors to a few pleasant neighborhood friends, right?
What to consider when selling your home without a real estate agent?
Of course, it sounds very positive, selling your home yourself. But: a lot is involved in selling your house yourself. Firstly, it takes a lot of time. A selection of the things you need to arrange: determining the asking price, taking photos, marketing your house (without Funda), planning and guiding viewings, conducting negotiations, and drafting the sales contract.
Think carefully about what things you can do well yourself, and which things will take up (too much) time. Taking photos and doing viewings is doable for most people. But determining a good asking price, negotiating, and drafting the sales contract requires the necessary knowledge of the local housing market and laws and regulations. Do you already fall asleep at the thought? Hang in there, because we're not done yet…
As a seller, you also have to comply with the duty of disclosure: you must report (hidden) defects and special features (such as underground tanks). If you don't, buyers can hold you liable and they may be entitled to compensation. Additionally, you need marketing knowledge to get your property noticed by the right people. As a private individual, you are not allowed to list your property on Funda (you need a real estate agent for this, bothersome isn't it).
Can you handle this yourself or do you have someone in your network who can help you with this? Great! If not, consider whether it's worth reading up on this.
- Receive proposals from multiple real estate agents
- Get clarity on costs upfront
- Choose based on performance and results
- Over 3,000 people went before you
- 2% higher sales proceeds
- Free & without obligation
- Independent
- Without obligation
- Free
- Fast
Useful documents
Drafting a purchase contract
Are you going to draft the purchase contract yourself? Well done! Make it easy for yourself by using the model contract from the Consumentenbond and NVM. Want to have the contract checked before it goes to the buyer? We understand, that's a reassuring idea. Have a lawyer review it for a fee, for example through Vereniging Eigen Huis.
Duty of disclosure
As you have read, as a seller you must comply with the duty of disclosure. Use the NVM questionnaire and fill it in. This document gives shape, content, and structure to your duty of disclosure. You can send this completed form to the buyers (or their real estate agent) during a negotiation or at another time.
Sell house with real estate agent
What are the advantages of selling your house with a real estate agent?
Let's be honest: a sales real estate agent saves you a lot of time, stress, and research work. A good real estate agent knows the neighborhood, is very familiar with the laws and regulations, knows exactly what small adjustments you can make to make your house sale-ready, what you need to disclose via the duty of disclosure, and which asking price is the best strategic choice. In addition, they conduct dozens of negotiations per month and have no trouble drafting a purchase contract. Read what a real estate agent does for you.
Another big advantage is that you can list your property on Funda. Quite convenient, because most home seekers start their search on this housing site. Without a real estate agent, you cannot use Funda and must market your property in a different way.
Do you want to be completely unburdened, or do you prefer that some tasks are performed by a professional? Then hire a full-service real estate agent or use one (or more) partial service(s). Read below about the handy partial services offered by (internet) real estate agents.
Find the best real estate agents in your area
Decided to sell your house through a real estate agent? Through Mijn Verkoopmakelaar you can quickly and easily find the best real estate agents in your area. Enter your postcode and house number below and register your property. Before you know it, the first responses from real estate agents will come in. And all of this is free and without obligation. Want to know more first? Read here how Mijn Verkoopmakelaar works.
- Receive proposals from multiple real estate agents
- Get clarity on costs upfront
- Choose based on performance and results
- Over 3,000 people went before you
- 2% higher sales proceeds
- Free & without obligation
- Independent
- Without obligation
- Free
- Fast
Handy real estate agent partial services
Most real estate agents take everything out of your hands. They relieve you from A to Z. Very nice of course, but there is also a price tag attached to it. Did you know there are also options between doing the sale yourself and hiring a full-service real estate agent?
Real estate agents with partial services
Many real estate agents offer partial services. Here, you take on some (simple) tasks yourself at a reduced rate. The tasks that require a lot of knowledge and experience, such as conducting negotiations and drafting the sales contract, are taken off your hands by the real estate agent. This can be a nice in-between solution, so think about it.
Are you looking for a real estate agent through Mijn Verkoopmakelaar and would like to use a partial service? Indicate this in the comments field in the registration process. Do you want to guide the viewings yourself, for example? Let them know. Real estate agents will then take this into account in the proposal they make to you.
Internet real estate agents
Did you know there are also so-called internet real estate agents? With these agents, you - just like with partial services - take on some tasks yourself. Additionally, much more is arranged digitally. As a result, you pay much less for an internet real estate agent than for a regular real estate agent. An internet real estate agent usually takes the following things off your hands: conducting a valuation, determining the asking price, listing your property on Funda, and drafting the sales contract.
Determining the asking price
You can hire an appraiser to prepare an appraisal report. This way you have a guideline when setting the asking price. You can also look up the recent sale prices of comparable houses in the neighborhood yourself through the Land Registry. Read more tips for determining the right asking price.
More information for selling your property
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell my house myself?
Yes, you can. It is not mandatory to hire a real estate agent for the sale of your property. More and more people are taking matters into their own hands and are going through the sales process without a real estate agent. You probably won't be surprised that their biggest reason for not hiring a real estate agent is the real estate agent fees.
What are the benefits of selling your house without a real estate agent?
The biggest advantage of selling your property yourself is reflected in your wallet. You quickly save thousands of euros. Additionally, as a seller, you can decide when the viewings take place. A quick viewing in between, in the evening or over the weekend, is simply possible. You are not dependent on the working hours of the real estate agent, which makes you much more flexible. This is appreciated by potential buyers.
What are the benefits of selling your house with a real estate agent?
A sales real estate agent saves you a lot of time, stress, and research. A good real estate agent knows the neighborhood, is well-versed in rules and regulations, knows exactly which small adjustments you can make to prepare your house for sale, what you need to disclose via the disclosure obligation, and which asking price is strategically the best choice. In addition, they conduct dozens of negotiations per month and have no trouble drafting a purchase contract. Read what else a real estate agent can do for you.
