Selling your home privately in New Zealand is a legitimate choice, and in the right circumstances it can save you a significant amount of money. If you're seriously considering it, here's an honest, practical guide to what's involved, what can go wrong and how to give yourself the best possible chance.
The savings are real
The primary reason people sell privately is to avoid paying agent commission. On an $800,000 home, that saving could be anywhere from $23,000 to $32,000. On a higher-value property, more again. Anyone who tells you private sales never work is wrong. They do work. The question is whether you're set up to do it well.
What you're actually taking on
When you sell privately, you become the project manager of your own sale. Everything that an agent would normally handle becomes your responsibility. That includes setting the price, preparing and writing the marketing listing, organising photography, managing buyer enquiries and open homes, negotiating directly with buyers (and their agents, who are experienced negotiators), co-ordinating building inspections and LIM reports, working with your lawyer on the sale and purchase agreement, handling conditions and extensions, and managing the process through to settlement.
None of these tasks are impossible individually. But they run simultaneously, they require time and focus, and some require knowledge most people don't have until they've been through a few sales. Be honest with yourself about whether you have the capacity before you commit.
Pricing is where most private sellers get into trouble
Mispricing is the most common and most costly mistake in private sales. Price too high and the property sits on the market. Days on market is visible to everyone on Trade Me and OneRoof, and experienced buyers notice it quickly. A property that's been sitting for weeks starts to carry a stigma: buyers begin to wonder what's wrong with it, and that suspicion drives offers down or drives buyers away entirely.
Price too low and you leave money on the table. Sometimes thousands. Sometimes tens of thousands.
To price well you need to study comparable sales in your suburb for the previous three to six months. Look at properties with similar bedrooms, bathrooms, land size and condition. Be ruthlessly honest about where yours sits in that range. Your council valuation (CV) is not a price guide and should not be used as one.
Where to list your property
Trade Me Property is the dominant platform for private sales in New Zealand. The majority of serious buyers check it. List with high-quality photos and a description that covers the facts: bedrooms, bathrooms, floor area, land area, key features and what the neighbourhood offers. Mention it's a private sale so buyers know they're dealing directly with you.
realestate.co.nz allows private listings through its VendorHome service. OpenHome.co.nz is another option worth considering. The more platforms you list on, the more buyer visibility you generate. More visibility creates more competition, and competition drives price. Don't list on one platform to save a listing fee and then wonder why you're not getting enquiries.
Consider hiring a professional photographer regardless of what you're saving on commission. Most buyers form an opinion of a property before they ever step inside, based on how it looks in photos. Amateur photographs cost you viewings. Professional photography costs a few hundred dollars and pays for itself.
Disclosure: a legal obligation, not optional
Selling privately does not reduce your legal obligations to buyers. You are required by law to disclose any known material defects or issues with the property. This includes leaky building history, unconsented work, drainage problems, boundary disputes, weather-tightness issues and anything else a buyer would reasonably consider important in their decision to purchase.
Failure to disclose known issues can result in the sale falling over at settlement, legal action from the buyer after the fact, or both. This is not a technicality. It applies whether you use an agent or not, and it applies whether or not the buyer asks directly.
You still need a lawyer
The sale and purchase agreement is a legally binding document. Do not use a template off the internet and manage it yourself. You need a licensed lawyer or conveyancer to prepare or review it. Budget $1,500 to $2,500 for legal costs, the same as you would with an agent-assisted sale. This is not a cost you can cut.
Conditional sales involving finance approval or building inspections need careful management. Settlement logistics, including liaising with the buyer's lawyer and bank, require professional handling. Your lawyer earns their fee.
Watch out for the agency trail
If a real estate agent introduced a buyer to your property during a previous marketing campaign (including open homes or private viewings under an agency agreement) and you later agree to sell to that same buyer privately, the agency may still be entitled to claim commission under the terms of their agreement. Check the terms of any prior agency agreement carefully and take legal advice if this situation arises. Do not assume a lapsed listing agreement removes all obligations.
When private sales work well, and when they don't
Private sales tend to work best when you already have a likely buyer (a neighbour, a family member, someone who approached you directly), when the property is genuinely straightforward to price and market, and when you have the time and confidence to manage the process properly.
They're significantly harder when the property requires active buyer hunting to generate competition, when accurate pricing is complicated by limited or unusual comparable sales, or when you're already carrying significant stress in other areas of your life. Selling is stressful enough without managing every moving part yourself.
If it's not working out, there's no shame in a Plan B
If you give it a go and it's not going the way you hoped, calling in a professional is not a sign of failure. It's a practical decision made in your own financial interest. I've helped a number of sellers who started private and then needed a different approach. I won't judge you for having a go yourself. Call me when you're ready and we'll figure out the best way forward from wherever you are.
