The best sellers start before the signboard goes up
Most homeowners think the selling process begins when they call an agent. In practice, the sellers who feel most confident and achieve the best results are the ones who spend a few weeks doing their own groundwork first.
This is not about second-guessing your agent or doing their job for them. It is about walking into that first conversation prepared - knowing your numbers, understanding your home's position, and being clear on what you actually want from the sale.
Here is what to do before you pick up the phone.
Step 1 - Get clear on your why and your timeline
Your reason for selling shapes every other decision in the process: your pricing strategy, your timeline, your tolerance for negotiation, and what a successful outcome actually looks like for you.
Are you upsizing? Downsizing? Relocating? Freeing up equity? Each of these comes with different emotional pressures and different practical requirements. An agent who understands your motivation will give you much better strategic advice than one who is just running a standard campaign.
Similarly, your timeline matters. If you need to be settled before the school year, that is a real constraint. If you have flexibility, that changes your options. Being clear on this before you talk to anyone saves time and reduces the chance of being pushed into a timeline that does not suit you.
Step 2 - Understand your rough financial position
You do not need a detailed financial model before your first agent conversation, but you should know:
- Your current mortgage balance (call your lender or check your app)
- A rough sense of your equity position
- What you would need to net from the sale to make your next move work
- Whether you are buying and selling simultaneously, or selling first
This clarity helps you evaluate an agent's pricing recommendation with your own judgment, rather than being guided entirely by what they tell you your home is worth.
Step 3 - Research your comparable sales
Before any agent gives you a formal appraisal, spend 30 to 60 minutes on realestate.com.au or domain.com.au looking at what has actually sold in your suburb in the last three to six months.
Focus on: similar property type (house vs. unit), similar bedroom and bathroom count, similar land size, and proximity to your address. Note the listed prices and, where available, the sale prices. The gap between those two numbers tells you something important about local buyer behaviour.
This is not about replacing your agent's expertise. It is about arriving at the appraisal with context, so you can have a more productive conversation.
Step 4 - Walk your home like a buyer
Stand outside. Come back in through the front door. Then walk through every room as if you are seeing it for the first time.
Write down the first five things you notice. Not the things you love about it - the things that catch your attention or create a slightly uncomfortable feeling. Those are likely what buyers will notice too.
Common things sellers stop seeing: paint scuffs on skirting boards, dripping taps, stiff doors, overgrown corners of the garden, cluttered benchtops, dated light fittings. None of these require significant spending to address - but addressing them before photography makes a measurable difference to how buyers perceive the property online.
Buyer perception starts with the photos, and photos are taken before anything else in a campaign.
Step 5 - Think about what kind of agent relationship you want
Not all agents work the same way, and not all agent relationships feel the same. Before you start speaking with agents, think about what matters to you:
- Do you want regular communication, or do you prefer to hear only when something meaningful happens?
- Are you comfortable with an agent who has a full book of listings, or do you prefer someone who takes on fewer properties at once?
- Do you want a straightforward process, or do you want someone who will guide you through the emotional side of it too?
These preferences are worth articulating. A good agent will adapt to how you work. An average one will run the same process regardless.
What to bring to your first appraisal conversation
Once you have done the above, your first conversation with an agent becomes much more productive. Come with:
- A clear sense of your ideal settlement timeline
- Your rough financial position (you do not need to share the details - just have them clear in your own head)
- A list of the things you have noticed when walking through the home as a buyer
- Two or three comparable sales you found in your research, so you can test whether the agent's knowledge matches what you found
- Questions about how they would approach the campaign, what their fee structure is, and how they will communicate with you
A note from Bec
I always prefer to speak with sellers who have done some thinking before we meet. Not because I expect you to know everything - that is my job - but because it makes the conversation richer and more honest. You leave with better information, and I leave with a clearer picture of what actually matters to you.
If you are somewhere in the thinking-about-it phase and would like a quiet conversation before anything official, that is genuinely what the appraisal chat is designed for. No pressure, no obligation - just a clear picture of where things sit.
Frequently asked questions
How long before selling should I start preparing?
Ideally, three to six months before you want to go to market. This gives you time to address any preparation items without feeling rushed, and allows you to research the market properly.
Do I need to renovate before I sell?
In most cases, no. Small, targeted improvements - fresh paint, a pressure wash, fixing minor repairs, styling - typically deliver better returns than full renovations. Talk to your agent before spending anything significant. See our full guide on renovating before selling for more detail.
How do I know if my suburb is a good time to sell?
There is no single answer. It depends on your suburb's current buyer demand, recent sale times, and what similar properties have been achieving. A local agent who transacts regularly in your area will give you a clearer picture than any general market commentary.