If you have started thinking about selling, you have probably also started Googling. There is a lot of property content online, and not all of it is useful for the New Zealand market. Some of it is generic American advice that does not match how things work here. Some of it is years out of date. Before you commit to a sale strategy, it pays to get clear on a handful of New Zealand specific basics. These are the things we wish every homeowner knew before they listed, in plain language and without the spin.

The basics most homeowners only learn halfway through

Know the difference between a price by negotiation, a deadline sale and an auction, and choose the method that suits your timeline and the buyer pool in your suburb. Understand the LIM and the title before you list, so a buyer’s question never catches you off guard. Get a written quote from your lawyer for the conveyancing side. Know your minimum price, your ideal price, and the price you would walk away from. Write all three down so you do not have to think about them when an offer arrives.

Photography matters more than almost anything else. Buyers shortlist on photos before they read a word of the description. So does the headline of the listing, the floor plan, and the social campaign that pushes it out. A clear, well lit, well composed photograph of a tidy lounge will outperform any clever turn of phrase. If you only do one thing properly, do the photos properly. That single decision often pays for itself many times over in the final sale price.

Where Market My Place fits in

Our role is simple. We take care of the marketing so you can take care of the sale. That means professional photos, signage, a floor plan, a tidy listing on Trade Me Property and Realestate.co.nz, and social media reach. You stay in charge of the conversations, the offers, and the final yes. It is the part of selling Kiwis like the most. The part where you keep the upside.