When you decide to sell your house or apartment, one of the first thoughts that comes to mind is "I'm not going to give a commission to an agency just to take 3 photos and do 2 viewings". So many people think they can sell on their own. Spoiler: yes, it's possible!

In reality, it all depends mainly on what you expect from your sale - the time you can dedicate to it, your comfort with technical documents, and your stress tolerance.

At Alpaca Immobilier, we regularly meet with sellers who have tried to sell between private parties before turning to us. Here's what we observe concretely, on the ground, in Montpellier and in the municipalities north of the Metropolitan area, and the real figures from serious studies.

The reality: with an agency, sales go through more often

This isn't an opinion, it's what the national figures show.
A recent study by the BPCE group indicates that nearly 70% of sellers ultimately find their buyer through a professional.

In direct sales, it's about one out of three. Why?

Because an agency has a network of qualified buyers, a distribution that goes further than LeBonCoin and Facebook Marketplace, and the ability to filter viewings to keep only good candidates. In a market like Montpellier, where there are many "curious" inquiries, it changes everything.

The selling price: you don't "lose" the commission

This is the most frequent concern: "If I go through an agency, I lose X% of the price."
In reality, that's not what happens.

Comparative studies show that properties sold through an intermediary generally achieve a higher price than those sold directly between private parties. In certain segments (older properties), the differences can exceed 15%.

Why?
Because the agency:

guides you in positioning the price correctly from the start,
avoids undervaluations,
knows how to defend the property's value during viewings,
masters negotiation.

Result: even with the commission, the seller often comes out ahead - and sometimes significantly ahead.

Legal security: a point many private sellers underestimate

A real estate sale isn't just "a buyer, a price, a contract".

There is:

inspections,
planning regulations,
easements,
co-ownership (when applicable),
financing rules,
legal timelines to consider,
guidance in studying and verifying the feasibility of your buyer's project.

A poorly prepared sale can collapse at the last moment, or worse: turn into a dispute several months later.

This is actually one of the main reasons why some private sales don't go through: incomplete file, misinformation, poorly written clauses, missing inspections…

At Alpaca Immobilier, we set everything up from the beginning and it's actually our trademark: we verify easements, planning regulations, inspections, utilities… before publishing the listing so we can answer all the questions from potential buyers - and even more!

Time saved (and stress avoided)

Selling on your own requires much more energy than you might think:

answering calls,
filtering serious visitors and agencies posing as private sellers,
organizing viewings,
arguing and negotiating,
managing documents to send to the notary,
etc.

An agency handles all of this so the current owner can focus on their future.

Showcasing the property

This is a known bias that practically all sellers have: "my house is the most beautiful"!
From a subjective point of view, it's probably true. But in reality, that old chandelier from your great-grandmother and that pink wallpaper give your home an outdated appearance. The black terrace and facade full of streaks suggest a poorly maintained property.

Of course, it's not about hiding serious defects, but rather our role as an agency will be to guide you in making your property attractive, while limiting expenses, to get the best possible valuation and as quickly as possible!

The more agencies, the better!

Another misconception! A property, to be desirable, must be "rare and inaccessible". Why does a Ferrari cost so much? It's because there are very few of them.
For your property, it's the same (or almost). The fewer agencies promoting it, the more attention it will attract.
An exclusive property often sells faster and at a better price, 77% in less than 3 months versus 55% for a simple mandate according to Meilleurs Agents. Not only does rarity help maintain a high price, but buyers will also think that you're not desperate to sell, which makes downward negotiation somewhat more difficult.

Finally, often, an exclusive property allows the agency to invest more time and money in organizing higher quality photos, videos and virtual tours, publishing on other platforms, etc.

At Alpaca Immobilier, exclusivity isn't keeping the property under wraps. On the contrary: it allows us to steer the sales strategy while opening widely to inter-agency collaboration to maximize your chances of success. We willingly collaborate with colleagues when it serves your interest.

Selling fast: the guarantee of getting the best price

This is also proven: the longer a property stays on the market, the more its price will be perceived as too high. In the end: it will probably sell for less than if you had sold it quickly.

At Alpaca Immobilier, we strive to estimate at a fair price, even if this goes against the value you envisioned for your property.

To give you the best chances, we then distribute your listing very widely on the most well-known real estate portals (LeBonCoin, BienIci, Se Loger, Belles Demeures, etc). We also share it with our network of nearby real estate agents who might have a buyer in their files and on the Interkab network, which includes more than 30,000 agencies in France.

Being seen quickly and in volume allows the property to become known while maintaining its value.

In summary: selling through an agency is not "paying for nothing"

It is:

increasing your chances of selling,
showcasing your property without unnecessary and unrecoverable expenses,
optimizing your price,
securing all legal aspects,
saving considerable time,
avoiding unpleasant surprises.

And in a market like Montpellier's, very dynamic but sometimes difficult to read for a private individual, it really makes all the difference.

At Alpaca Immobilier, we pride ourselves on doing things properly: careful work, technical analysis, transparency and especially human support at every step.

Our objective: to help you sell well, sell fast and sell peacefully.

Sources:
Groupe BPCE - The Seller, That Unknown Variable in the Housing Market
Meilleurs Agents - Agence immobilière et mandats exclusifs
Nicolas Benoit Immobilier - Guide complet sur le mandat exclusif
Agent sur Mesure - Pourquoi le mandat exclusif est plus avantageux
L'Immovation - Le mandat d'exclusivité le plus efficace