Exclusivity and cooperation – how a modern estate agent works

Visiting just any agency is not enough to sell your property profitably. To close a deal quickly, it is worth working with professionals, estate agents who know the market inside out, have a wealth of know-how behind them and use modern marketing techniques.

Working with an estate agent begins with choosing between an open (non-exclusive) agreement and an exclusive one. The first form of cooperation allows the owner to commission several agents to sell the property. The essence of an exclusive agency agreement (umowa na wyłączność), on the other hand, is the stipulation that the estate agency we work with will be the only intermediary handling the sale or letting of our property. At first glance the second solution may not seem entirely favourable to the property owner, but contrary to appearances this is not the case, as I will show later in this article.

Why is it worth choosing an agreement with an exclusivity clause?

Firstly, an agent who is certain of being the only agent for the property is able to commit far more fully to selling it. Thanks to the exclusive agreement, they can use the full package of promotional services that the agency offers. This in turn makes their work more effective, which means the transaction is concluded faster. It should be remembered that agents devote far more time to promoting those property listings whose owners have signed an exclusive agreement. They treat them as a top priority, because they are certain that the client has already made a decision, will not pull out of the cooperation and expects a concrete result.

Some may think that if we commission more than one agency to sell our property, we will make our listing far more visible and, as a result, more effectively promoted. This is untrue, because most estate agencies cooperate with one another and may also belong to a nationwide multiple listing system (MLS – Multiple Listing Service). So if we sign an exclusive agreement with one agency, our listing will reach all the offices registered in the MLS system, which means more potential clients will see it, not only from our own region, but from all over Poland. This saves us time, as we no longer have to worry about where, how and to whom to recommend our listing.

Following on from the above, if we sign an exclusive agreement, the agency, when promoting the listing, provides detailed information about the property, its surroundings, its advantages, the address, transport links and so on. If we commission several agencies, this information will simply be left out. It should be borne in mind here that for most potential clients the location of the property is a key feature, which often decides whether or not they buy. It is worth remembering that every estate agency has its own modern marketing methods and tools, which will promote our listing most effectively.

In addition, finalising the sale involves a number of legal regulations of which the average person may not be aware. By working with an agency, we can be sure that the transaction is concluded safely and on the most favourable terms for us.

Besides, we may finally sell our property and yet keep receiving calls from people interested in a listing that is no longer current. There will be no problem if it is only one phone call asking for more information about the property. It is worse when we have to explain several times a week that the listing is no longer available. Over time this becomes more and more irritating and burdensome. Thanks to the exclusive agreement we avoid unnecessary chaos and, above all, can get on with our own work, entrusting matters connected with the property to specialists.

To sum up, an agency agreement with an exclusivity clause is in no way restrictive for the owner. It allows the estate agency to make full use of the potential of all its tools in order to conclude the transaction as quickly as possible. This is confirmed by property market research, which shows that with an exclusive agreement the transaction goes through as much as ten times faster. If a client values their time and puts quality over quantity, this form of cooperation will be the most satisfying for them, as it protects their interests in the best possible way.