SELLING MY PROPERTY

SELLING YES … BUT IN ACCORDANCE WITH VERY STRICT LEGAL RULES

SELLING YES … TAKING ALL NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS

SELLING YES… USING THE SERVICES OF A REAL ESTATE AGENT

SELLING YES… WITH LAFORÊT IMMOBILIER

WELL-HANDLED NEGOTIATIONS WITH BUYERS

FULL KNOWLEDGE OF THE LEGAL, TAX AND FINANCIAL ASPECTS

LOCAL AGENCIES CLOSE TO YOU AND YOUR CONCERNS

Laforêt Immobilier: a true service approach

Selling real estate is not a trivial matter. Your Laforêt Immobilier agency is there to help you complete the transaction successfully, in accordance with its three basic principles: transparency, a close trust-based working relationship and efficiency.

SELLING YES... BUT IN ACCORDANCE WITH VERY STRICT LEGAL RULES

It goes without saying, but it is nevertheless worth repeating: you can only sell real estate if you have full ownership rights. Thus, you cannot sell a family home or another jointly-owned property without the consent of each of the joint owners. If you are married and the property is part of the community of property regime, the agreement of both spouses is required. The same applies if it is the property of one of the spouses but is used as the marital home.

Finally, do not forget that real estate law has become extremely restrictive, requiring sellers to provide at the time of the signature of the notarial deed of sale, an ever increasing number of certificates. Moreover, other certificates are due to be added to the list very shortly.

In short, selling real estate is not a simple transaction!

SELLING YES... TAKING ALL NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS

Should you buy before having sold your property or sell before buying? There is no clear-cut answer to this often asked question. Everything depends on the place, the local market, your situation and your personality, etc.

If you buy before selling, you will undoubtedly need to take out a bridging loan. In this case, you need to ask what are the risks involved in such a transaction and above all how they can be minimised

On the other hand, if you wait to sell before buying, you may be afraid that you will not find the apartment or house that you want within the usual three month period between the signature of the provisional sale agreement and that of the notarial deed of sale

Here again, this gives rise to a lot of questions which sometimes go unanswered…

SELLING YES... USING THE SERVICES OF A REAL ESTATE AGENT

A real estate agent is a professional whose task is to bring together sellers and buyers or owners and tenants, and to advise them.

When it comes to selling a property, using the services of an estate agent has two major advantages:

• he has a good knowledge of his district, his city. He can therefore give you very quickly an exact idea of the price of your property;
• he is fully familiar with real estate laws in force and can therefore handle for you all “administrative” concerns inherent in a sale.

And above all, as a professional in a regulated profession, he is subject to numerous obligations:

• since the entry into force of the royal decree of 6 September 1993 real estate agents must be authorised by the professional institute of real estate agents;
• they must take out insurance covering their professional responsibility. This insurance covers you if your estate agent commits an error resulting in a loss for you;
• they must prove that they have a financial guarantee to be able to accept funds from buyers which, moreover, they must place on an escrow account.

All in all the use of the services of a real estate agent is a guarantee of security. Estate agents have an obligation of means. This means that in the event of a hidden defect, you can invoke their penal and civil liability, which is an invaluable guarantee of security!

SELLING YES… WITH LAFORÊT IMMOBILIER

By using the services of Laforêt Immobilier, you benefit from a series of advantages and privileges which will help to put your mind at ease. Point by point, this is what our agencies will offer you:

an accurate estimate of the value of your property:

The more accurate the estimate the easier it is to find buyers and complete the transaction rapidly. Because of their local presence the Laforêt Immobilier agencies are fully familiar with the market situation and know what buyers want. Their advisers are trained in proven professional methods, taking into account all the criteria which contribute to price formation on the market.

an intelligent search for potential buyers

Based on their experience, the Laforêt Immobilier advisers are able to draw up a standard profile of buyers likely to be interested in your property. This rigorous selection process helps to avoid pointless visits. They then consult the file of buyers registered with the agency, whom they then contact to organise visits.

Selecting the most appropriate advertising media

In addition to searching the file of buyers registered with the agency, your Laforêt Immobilier adviser will take care of the following:

• preparing advertisements which will be published in the press and on the Internet. Well-prepared advertisements enable you to target “genuine” potential buyers. This avoids pointless calls and wasted time;
• choosing “for sale” signs (signs placed in windows, posters, press advertisements, etc.): the Laforêt Immobilier adviser is a professional who knows how to select the most appropriate tools to obtain the best result;
• advertising your property in the real agency’s window: agencies are located in busy areas with a lot of pedestrian traffic looking in the agency’s windows. The use of this advertising space is therefore vital. The presentation and media used enable your property to be shown in the best possible light;
• posting your property on the Internet. The site www.laforet.be is very well referenced and posts its advertisements on its local or regional site as well as on the best known real estate sites;
• selecting the mot suitable press: it goes without saying that your property will not be of interest to all buyers. Thanks to their knowledge of the market and specialised press, the Laforêt Immobilier advisers are able to select the most suitable newspapers or magazines in which to advertise;
• providing you with access to the shared file system and the principle of recommendations between agencies.

WELL-HANDLED NEGOTIATIONS WITH BUYERS

Once the potential buyers have been selected, your Laforêt Immobilier adviser will take them to visit your property. Prior to that: • he will advise you on how to enhance the value of your property: his know-how and experience enable him to give you sensible advice on how to “attract” potential buyers when they visit the premises; • he checks the seriousness of buyers: the Laforêt Immobilier adviser checks their viability, thereby avoiding showing your property to buyers who cannot afford to buy it; • when he shows potential buyers around your house he highlights all the positive aspects. It is best to leave this to him. Selling is his job. He knows the arguments to be used and those to be avoided; • he negotiates the price for you: good negotiations are those which leave both the buyer and seller satisfied. Thanks to his perfect market knowledge, your Laforêt Immobilier adviser knows how to conduct this crucial phase.

Once the potential buyers have been selected, your Laforêt Immobilier adviser will take them to visit your property.
Prior to that:

• he will advise you on how to enhance the value of your property: his know-how and experience enable him to give you sensible advice on how to “attract” potential buyers when they visit the premises;
• he checks the seriousness of buyers: the Laforêt Immobilier adviser checks their viability, thereby avoiding showing your property to buyers who cannot afford to buy it;
• when he shows potential buyers around your house he highlights all the positive aspects. It is best to leave this to him. Selling is his job. He knows the arguments to be used and those to be avoided;
• he negotiates the price for you: good negotiations are those which leave both the buyer and seller satisfied. Thanks to his perfect market knowledge, your Laforêt Immobilier adviser knows how to conduct this crucial phase.

FULL KNOWLEDGE OF THE LEGAL, TAX AND FINANCIAL ASPECTS

• Certificates : your Laforêt Immobilier adviser will inform you which documents need to be produced. If you want, he can also introduce you to reliable service provider able to produce them.

• Documents to be signed : once an agreement has been reached between the buyer and you, your Laforêt Immobilier adviser will handle all the formalities to be completed, the most important of which includes the signature of the provisional sale agreement (bilateral contract), then that of the deed executed before the notary.

• Time limits and stages between signature and moving into the property : after the signature of the provisional sale agreement, the real estate agent will assist you and explain the different stages to be completed in the procedure. This will not only save you time but also reduce the stress.

LOCAL AGENCIES CLOSE TO YOU AND YOUR CONCERNS

At Laforêt Immobilier, you deal with professionals who will do everything in their power to satisfy your needs. It is not by chance that Laforêt Immobilier is considered to be benchmark in customer relations.

In addition Laforêt Immobilier agencies have so-called “first category” locations in busy areas. This ensures a steady traffic of potential buyers for your property. Laforêt Immobilier agencies attract business in particular by optimising their window displays, which naturally benefits your property.

• Proven know-how
• Agency listing: it is compulsory and Laforêt Immobilier recommends the Privilege Contract which, by the range of services offered, is your best guarantee of success. It includes concrete commitments and gives details of the means implemented to ensure your peace of mind, to advertise your property and the support you will receive up to the signature of the notarial deed of sale.
• In-service training: You can count on the dynamism and experience of the Laforêt Immobilier advisers to help you make a successful sale. As soon as they are recruited they are trained within the Laforêt Immobilier network and receive in-service training to upgrade their skills throughout their career.
• Shared values.

The Laforêt Immobilier network has grown by relying on strict rules, shared by all its agencies and promoting on a daily basis, three core values: transparency, a close trust-based working relationship and efficiency.

Today, the key to a successful purchase can be summed up in two words: Laforêt Immobilier!