Selling, and need tips, and also tips on managing the selling agent.

First time selling. Any advice welcome!

Looking for tips on selling - tenanted or empty? staged or not? refurb vs just staging? best bang for buck internet marketing style?
I've looked at lots of threads here, but would appreciate any fresh input.
I plan to inspect the house within the next week to assess it. It's a 4/2/2 'standard' brick house for the area on the Gold Coast. Built in 2002.

The house is currently tenanted. Lease finishes end of October. I will use the current managing agent to make the sale, even though I initially thought to try to sell it myself.

Pros:

• I trust the current agent, I have a good relationship with them and believe I could work with them through the process
• They have lengthy industry experience

Cons:

• They aren't active selling in the area where my property is
• They sell more units than houses

I expect that I will want to be very involved in the selling process - maybe getting my own photographer, planning the selling blurb, maybe even being the one to conduct open homes.

Is that a wise idea, or better to leave it to them and cross my fingers?

 

Why do you think you will be better than the agent at this? If your that involved, why hire the agent at all? Even if you do the work they still get paid. Generally owners suck at their own open homes. They get emotional when people criticise the property.

 

Yes, good point.

 

Was leaning towards the idea of staging. I know my own gut reaction when I see a staged house online is to consider it more positively.
I've read some opinions that staging may also be able to camouflage problem floor areas, negating the need to re-carpet...

Do all pro RE photographers do twilight photos?
I see some listings with pro photos online and they are pretty ordinary, yet some are outstanding. I want the latter but not sure how to find them.