Comparing agent fees and service scope for a Lima condo sale

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ben_quinn

Homeowner
A lower commission is not necessarily the cheaper option, but a higher fee is not proof of better service either. I am comparing proposals for selling a Lima condo at around PEN 1,988,000, and the scopes differ enough that the percentages alone tell me very little.

I want to compare evidence: relevant recent sales, response standards, how buyers are screened, how offers are communicated, and who handles problems between acceptance and closing. I also need each agent to explain any involvement with both parties and how that conflict would be disclosed. Which questions have produced clear, measurable answers for other Lima sellers?
 
I’ve now put the proposals into one table, but the wording is still too vague to compare. “Professional photography” and “qualified buyers” could mean very different things. I’m thinking of asking each agent to describe the exact deliverable, name my day-to-day contact, and explain the fee basis and payment point in writing. What else belongs in that request?
 
Add a sample timeline and responsibility list. For photography, ask who pays, what is delivered and whether retakes or listing updates are included. For qualification, ask what information they obtain before arranging a viewing rather than accepting the label alone.

Also ask how offers are presented, how quickly you receive them, and who keeps track of unresolved items between acceptance and closing.
 
I would not put much weight on a quoted fall-through rate by itself. One agent may have too few comparable transactions for the percentage to mean anything, and different reasons can sit behind the same number.

A better question is what they do when financing, documentation or another condition threatens the deal. Ask for the steps, communication pattern and named person responsible. That exposes whether “closing coordination” is real work or just forwarding messages.
 
Fair caveat, but recent comparable sales still matter. Ask for condos genuinely comparable in location and characteristics, plus the original asking price, eventual sale price and time taken. You are testing both pricing judgment and whether the agent can explain differences—not simply counting sales.

For the fee, confirm what amount it is calculated from, when it becomes payable, and which listed services or outside costs are excluded.
 
Response time should be made concrete too. “Always available” is not useful. Ask who answers buyer enquiries, who covers absences, how often you receive an activity report, and how quickly the agent commits to passing on an offer or material development.

I’d also request disclosure of any relationship, referral arrangement or competing role involving a prospective buyer. The important part is knowing how that situation would be handled before it happens.
 
One caution: the longest service list is not automatically the best value. Some included tasks may matter little if the agent’s pricing, buyer follow-up or negotiation process is weak.

Send every bidder the same short scenario: a buyer submits an offer below expectations with unresolved qualification questions. Ask who contacts whom, what gets documented, how counteroffers are managed and what happens if the deal stalls. Comparing those answers alongside the written exclusions should reveal more than polished package names.
 
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