Selling an apartment isn’t complicated. But most people lose money on it – not from capital losses, but from a price they could have gotten and didn’t.
When selling an apartment in Israel, the gap between the market value a buyer is willing to pay and the price an inexperienced seller manages to achieve is usually 5% to 10%. On an apartment of 1.5 million NIS – 75,000 to 150,000 NIS. That’s money left on the table due to mistakes that can be prevented.
Mistake 1: Pricing Too High at the Start
Pricing too high doesn’t create room for negotiation. It causes the property to linger on the market, and a property that sits on the market for a long time starts being perceived as problematic. Buyers start wondering what’s wrong with it. A price reduction after months deepens the negative perception.
Correct pricing from day one creates demand, and sometimes – competition between buyers that drives the price up.
Mistake 2: Photos Taken on a Phone
Most people looking for an apartment decide whether to come for a viewing based on photos. Bad photography doesn’t just fail to attract – it creates an impression of the property that’s hard to change later. Professional photography costs a few hundred shekels. It’s not a luxury.
Mistake 3: Revealing Too Much at the First Meeting
“We need to sell by the end of the quarter” – that’s a sentence you don’t say in a negotiation. Someone who knows there’s time pressure will push for a lower price and wait. Managing information is part of selling. You don’t have to lie, but you don’t have to share everything.
Mistake 4: Working with a Broker Who Also Represents the Buyer
A broker working both sides (dual agency) profits from closing the deal at any price – not from the highest price for you. A dedicated seller’s agent represents only your interests. This conflict of interest isn’t always visible, but it’s real. A seller deserves representation that works only for them.
Mistake 5: Coming Unprepared to the First Meeting with a Buyer
A seller who can’t answer basic questions – year built, building fees, tenant history, renovation plans – loses credibility. An hour of preparation before the first viewing saves questions that lower the price.
Mistake 6: Failing to Create Competition
A deal handled with only one buyer – already moves in their direction. A deal handled with two potential buyers who both know there’s another party – moves in a completely different direction. Creating competition is a technique, not luck.
Mistake 7: Handling Alone a Deal You Don’t Handle Every Day
A real estate transaction may be the biggest deal you’ll ever manage. A lawyer, a broker representing only you, and if relevant a tax advisor – these aren’t add- ons. They’re part of properly managing a deal.
At Almi, property marketing comes with the same approach we bring to any other service: