Key facts:
- Real estate agents have the tools to achieve the best sales and rental price.
- Save time with professional support: the estate agent takes care of everything from marketing to signing the contract.
- Self-marketing saves the estate agent’s commission, but requires extensive specialist knowledge, a broad network and a great deal of time.
When it comes to selling a property, many owners are faced with the question: Should I hire a real estate agent or take the sale into my own hands? Both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages, which need to be carefully weighed up. While self-marketing offers independence, an experienced real estate expert enables a professional and smooth process.
What tasks are involved in selling real estate?
Selling a property involves many steps that require not only time but also expertise. These include:
- Pricing: Determining a realistic sales price is the key to a successful sale. If the price is set too high, the property can become a “slow seller” and may only be sold at a high discount. Setting the right selling price from the outset ensures the best possible proceeds.
- High-quality photos, videos and virtual tours: professional images, video clips and even VR tours ensure that your property is presented in the best possible light. Home staging can also significantly increase the attractiveness of your property.
- Exposé and digital presence: Today, real estate is almost exclusively searched for online. A professional online brochure and a strong digital presence are key to reaching the right potential buyers.
- Online listings or discreet marketing: Properties can either be advertised via leading online portals or marketed discreetly via a real estate agent’s network – depending on individual requirements.
- Organizing viewings: Looking after interested parties, answering questions and planning appointments – this requires organizational talent.
- Negotiations and contracts: In addition to price negotiations, legal and tax aspects must be clarified before the purchase agreement is drawn up.
All these tasks can quickly become a challenge for inexperienced owners, especially if they have little time or knowledge.
The properti checklist for real estate sales provides a comprehensive overview of the most important steps and tasks for a successful sale.
Self-marketing: independent, but demanding
Self-marketing real estate is particularly worth considering if you want to invest time and energy and have the necessary knowledge to manage the sales process yourself. This offers some advantages, but also entails significant risks.
Advantages of self-marketing:
Cost savings: You save the estate agent’s commission, which is usually 2-3 % of the sales price or one gross monthly rent in the case of letting. However, as you have to invest your time, this can also be seen as a cost.
The challenges of self-marketing:
- Specialist knowledge required: Pricing, legal framework conditions and tax aspects are complex and require experience.
- Negotiations: Especially with family properties, emotional attachment can affect the sales process and influence negotiations.
- Time required: From taking professional pictures to the exposé to signing the contract, the process is labor-intensive and time-consuming.
- Effective marketing: While platforms such as Homegate and Newhome are easily accessible, targeted strategies and specialized approaches are necessary to reach the ideal buyer or to successfully conduct discreet off-market marketing.
Self-marketing is particularly suitable for experienced sellers who are prepared to invest time and effort. Please pay close attention to the legal aspects.
Adrian Künzi: “At properti, we often receive requests to take over the marketing after an attempt at self-marketing has failed. In such cases, it is crucial to create transparency in order to enable a successful new start. However, this often requires time, which is not available in all cases – then a quick sale must be realized.”
Selling with a real estate agent: professional and efficient
Real estate agents bring in-depth expertise, experience and a large network to market properties professionally and legally and to achieve the best possible price. Especially with unusual properties or complex situations, the support of a real estate expert is often crucial for a successful transaction.
Advantages of real estate agents:
- Market knowledge: Real estate agents have extensive knowledge of the regional real estate market and can determine the ideal sales price.
- Large network: Having access to a large number of potential buyers increases the chances of a successful quick sale.
- Professional marketing: Professional photos, VR tours, staging – a real estate agent creates all the marketing documents required for a state-of-the-art online presence and the optimal presentation of the property.
- Time savings: estate agents take care of viewings, negotiations and the organization of all the necessary documents.
- Legal certainty: A real estate expert ensures that the entire sales process is legally correct – from the necessary clarifications to the preparation and review of all documents to the purchase agreement, which is legally flawless and free of pitfalls. This ensures that both buyer and seller are optimally protected.
- Technology: Modern real estate agents like properti rely on innovative technologies and digital processes that guarantee the highest quality and transparency. Sellers benefit from access at all times, efficient document management and data-based marketing strategies – clearly tailored to their needs.
Brokerage fees:
The estate agent’s commission in Switzerland is typically between 2-3% of the sales price. This is usually borne by the seller, but can also be split between the buyer and seller.

How do I recognize a good real estate agent?
Qualified real estate agents are characterized by experience, transparency and modern working methods. A high degree of digitalization offers clear advantages: Companies such as properti rely on innovative tools such as virtual viewings, data-driven analyses and automated processes to make the sales process faster and more efficient.
Pay attention to the following points when choosing a real estate expert:
- Transparent conditions: Clear information on services and commission rates is a must.
- Recommendations: Positive customer reviews and references speak for quality
- Marketing strategy: Does the real estate agent use digital tools such as online exposés and smart marketing methods?
- Experience and specialization: How many similar properties has the agent successfully sold? Does he specialize in your region or property type?
- Further training: Companies that invest in the further training of their real estate agents guarantee up-to-date knowledge of market trends, legal requirements and digital methods – a clear advantage for sellers.
Real estate agents and companies that make effective use of digitalization and modern approaches offer you not only professional solutions, but also solutions that promise success.
You have questions about selling real estate and would like a free and non-binding consultation? Arrange a consultation directly or give us a call: +41 44 244 32 00
Conclusion: Real estate agent or self-marketing?
The decision as to whether you sell your property with or without an estate agent depends on your individual needs. While self-marketing offers you independence, real estate agents impress with their professionalism, market knowledge and time savings.
If you have little experience in real estate sales or attach particular importance to efficient processing and want to achieve the best price, you are well advised to work with a real estate expert. properti supports you as a full-service provider from the initial consultation to handing over the keys. Contact us today to find out more about our services!
Arrange a consultation directly or give us a call: +41 44 244 32 00