The real estate industry has done an excellent job of scaring people into thinking they would be crazy, or stupid, to sell or purchase a home privately.  

The reality is, is that you don’t need to use an agent to sell your home. If anything, it will complicate the process, because it adds a middle person to a process that doesn’t require a middle person. All you need to do is find a buyer, agree with them on a selling price, and the conditions of the sale of the home, and take the agreement to a lawyer.

There is a way to determine an asking price for your home, give or take a few thousand dollars. You don’t need to know what houses in your neighbourhood sold for last month, or last year. You only need to know what you are competing against right now.

These days, in the age of the internet, it is very easy to see what you will be competing against. First, take a drive around your neighbourhood, or community, and write down the addresses of homes for sale that are comparable to yours. Go online, and find out how much they are asking. Go to Real Estate Websites. Look for similar properties in your neighbourhood, or your community, and find out how much they are asking. These are the properties you will be competing against. Not against the properties that were sold 2 or 3 months ago. So you can do all of the research yourself, quite easily. Make sure your home is priced competitively with the properties you will be competing against. Set a price that is competitive, and reasonable, and make sure it is ready to show to prospective buyers.

Here is some more information on how to set the asking price for your home.

Leave it to us! Our job at saskhouses.com is to get eyes on your listing. We achieve this by marketing your listing down different streams including this website, social media, lawn signs, email lists, and word of mouth. We have been helping people sell privately since 1999, so we know what works best to get the word out!

Selling a property isn’t much different than selling anything else. You need to find a buyer, and agree on a price and conditions with them. The only difference with selling a property, is that once you have an agreement, you will need a lawyer, and the buyer will need a lawyer, to make sure you get the money from the sale of your property, and that the buyer gets the title to the property. You can if you want to, but you actually don’t need to involve a real estate agent in the sale of your property or home.

If you or your buyer need lawyer recommendations, just reach out to us. We can help connect you!

You will! And why not? After all, no one knows your home better than you. When a buyer comes to see your home, make them feel welcome, and show them around. Or, let them wander around on their own. Answer any questions they might have, and ask them what they think. Make sure they know about the features of your home that you love, about improvements you have made, and anything else you feel they should know when they are considering the purchase of your home.

For some reason, the real estate industry never wants the seller and buyer to meet. Instead of negotiating directly with the buyer, the industry wants all negotiations done by two third parties, one supposedly fighting for the highest possible price, and the other fighting for the lowest possible price. Why not just deal directly with the buyer yourself?

The only paperwork that needs to be completed is an Offer to Purchase Form. It states the Seller’s Name, the Buyer’s Name, the Property Address, the agreed-upon Selling Price, and the conditions attached to the sale. Example – “appliances and window coverings are included, the pool table in the basement is not included.” It will also include things like how long the buyer has to put the financing in place to purchase the home, and whether a home inspection is required as a condition of the sale.

Once completed, and signed by the buyer, the seller, and a witness, you take it to your lawyer, and the lawyer will look after everything after that. It’s pretty straight-forward. And it can all be done at your Lawyer’s Office if you like, just to make sure everything is done exactly right.

The typical Real Estate Commission Fee Structure in Saskatchewan is that Real Estate Agents will share 6 % of the first $100,000 of the Selling Price of a Property, 4 % of the 2nd $100,000, and 2 % of everything after that. Here are some examples of how that would work.

• Sale Price – $200,000 – Real Estate Commission – $10,000 + GST + PST = $11,100
• Sale Price – $300,000 – Real Estate Commission – $12,000 + GST + PST = $13,320
• Sale Price – $400,000 – Real Estate Commission – $14,000 + GST + PST = $15,540
• Sale Price – $500,000 – Real Estate Commission – $16,000 + GST + PST = $17,760

Real Estate Commission Calculator for Saskatchewan

First impressions are critical, and great photos can make a huge difference to your listing! Below are a few pointers:

• Hold your phone horizontally (landscape) if possible
• Make sure the house is tidy (Beds should be made, countertops cleared, etc.)
• Make sure all blinds are open, and lights are on
• Try to take exterior photos on a sunny day if possible
• Stand in the corners of rooms, this will make the space feel bigger

In order to have a quick sale and get the highest possible price, here are a few pointers to make your listing the best it can be:

• Make sure your asking price is realistic. To high of an asking price can scare buyers away, so be sure to do plenty of research on comparable properties! If you want a second opinion on this, just reach out to us
• Make sure photos are bright and high quality, this can make a huge difference!
• Before potential buyers come to look at the house, make sure it is clean and tidy. Hide any personal belongings, make the beds, clear the countertops, mow the lawn, etc. Also, make any minor repairs to the house that might be a turn off for buyers. First impressions are critical!
• Be honest and welcoming. Show buyers why you love your home so much,If you’ve had issues with the house in the past, don’t be afraid to let them know what they were, and how you dealt with them to make sure those problems won’t re-appear in the future.