Selling
The Selling Guide
Wondering what your home might actually be worth right now? That's usually the first question that comes up once selling starts to feel like a real possibility. Rather than piecing together guesses from listing sites, it's worth having a direct conversation with Joanna, who combines actual price registration data, recent building activity, and the specifics of your property into a realistic read, not just a flattering number meant to win the listing.
This guide walks through what comes up at each stage of selling: how pricing actually works, whether it's worth preparing the home before listing, what makes photos effective, and what happens between an accepted offer and the money in your account. The goal is to make sure you understand how the process actually works before deciding whether, and when, to sell.
Assess
Clarify the home's condition, timing, and goal
Price
Set expectations using evidence and costs
Decide
Bring the questions to Joanna
What is your home worth
A home's value does not come from one formula. Location, age and condition, floor level, layout, parking, interest rates, competing listings, and buyer demand all matter. Even within the same building, units of similar size can sell on meaningfully different terms because of floor level, daylight, or condition.
A first read usually starts with checking actual price registration (實價登錄) for recent transactions in the same building or on the same street, then converting to a per-ping price for comparison. That's a starting point, not the answer, since the data lags and doesn't capture the condition differences between individual units.
A more accurate read comes from an agent who knows the neighborhood actually walking through the property, combining the latest transaction data with what's currently competing for the same buyers, to give a realistic price range, rather than relying on an automated online estimate.
How to set the right price
Price too high and a listing goes stale, buyers notice the days-on-market ticking up and start wondering what's wrong, and a later price cut often gets read as a sign the condition is bad rather than just a pricing correction. Price too low and it may sell fast, but that hands your negotiating room to the buyer and leaves money on the table you could have reasonably asked for.
A steadier approach is setting a realistic range from relevant recent transactions, leaving some room to negotiate without pricing out serious buyers. Once listed, keep watching inquiries and viewing feedback. If the response remains weak, review the price, presentation, and current market conditions together.
Pricing also depends on why you're selling. Needing to close within a specific window calls for a different strategy than being free to wait for the right offer, so it helps to first decide whether speed or price is the higher priority for you.
Preparing your home before listing
Preparing a home for sale doesn't require a major renovation budget. The goal is for viewings to feel clean, bright, and easy to picture living in. Clearing clutter, fixing obvious wall damage, and making sure every light fixture works are low-cost steps that often matter more than a full remodel.
If there's a genuinely significant issue, like a leak or wall dampness, it's usually better to address it beforehand or at least disclose it honestly upfront, rather than have a buyer discover it during a viewing. Finding it themselves tends to damage trust in the property's overall condition and hurts your negotiating position.
It also helps to prepare the documents early. The checklist printed on the supplied card includes a copy of the household registration, a seal certificate, the registered seal and original ID, the original land and building title deeds, house-tax and land-value-tax bills, and the building-use permit. The exact set can vary with co-ownership, an outstanding loan, or the registered owners, so have a land agent confirm it before signing.
Why photos matter
Most buyers browse photos online first before deciding whether a viewing is even worth booking. Poor lighting, cluttered framing, or low-quality photos can cause a genuinely good property to get scrolled past without ever getting a real look.
Good listing photos don't need heavy editing or exaggeration. What matters is shooting in good light (natural daylight tends to work best), tidying the space beforehand (put clutter away, straighten curtains), and framing shots to show how the space connects rather than just isolated corners. Wide-angle lenses help convey a sense of size, but distortion that's too aggressive tends to create a letdown when buyers see the real thing in person.
Beyond static photos, more buyers now expect a floor plan or a simple sense of how the space flows, which helps them picture the layout before ever visiting, increases the odds they'll book a viewing, and helps the buyers who do show up make a decision more efficiently.
Attracting the right buyers
Attracting buyers isn't just about maximizing exposure; it's about reaching the right people. A property's positioning, whether it suits a first-time family buyer, an investor, or someone upsizing, changes which selling points actually matter: school district access, everyday convenience, or rental yield.
Which platforms a listing appears on, how the description is written, and whether the headline conveys real selling points rather than inflated adjectives all affect how many of the right buyers actually click through. An honest, focused description usually attracts more serious, budget-matched buyers than one stacked with exaggerated language.
How viewings are scheduled also plays a role. Setting consistent viewing times and having the space tidy and ready ahead of each one gives every buyer a better first impression, which adds up over time to both a faster sale and a better final price.
The closing process
Once a buyer's offer and terms are agreed, the general sequence is: signing the sale contract, stamping it with both parties' seals, paying transfer taxes, registering the title transfer, and finally handover with the remaining balance paid. The seller's main responsibilities through this are cooperating on document stamping, arranging payoff of any existing mortgage on the property, and handing over the property on the agreed date.
If there is an outstanding mortgage, the payoff and lien-removal arrangements need to be coordinated as part of the transfer. A licensed land agent (地政士, or 代書) handles the registration process, while the seller should confirm the payoff amount and timing with the bank early.
The full process from signing to handover typically takes six to eight weeks, though the exact timing shifts depending on mortgage payoff, the buyer's loan approval, or how long it takes to vacate a tenant.
Costs of selling
Common seller costs include the agent's service fee (the total remuneration charged to buyer and seller for a sale cannot exceed six percent of the actual transaction price; the seller's actual amount is set by agreement), the land value increment tax (土地增值稅, calculated on the government-assessed increase in land value, usually the seller's responsibility), and if there's an outstanding mortgage, a possible early payoff penalty depending on the bank's terms.
If the property is currently rented, ending the lease early may require negotiating compensation with the tenant. If there's a notable defect that needs fixing before sale, like a leak, that cost belongs in the total too. Once all of this is added up, what a seller actually receives is meaningfully less than the headline sale price, so it's worth working out a conservative net estimate in advance rather than anchoring on the sale price alone.
This is general background only. Actual tax calculations and mortgage payoff terms vary by individual situation, bank terms, and current regulations, so confirm exact figures with your land agent (代書) and lender before relying on any number here.
Common mistakes sellers make
The most common mistake is anchoring the price to what a seller hopes to get, rather than what the market is actually paying, or relying on secondhand stories from neighbors or friends about what something "sold for" instead of checking actual price registration or getting a professional valuation.
Another frequent issue is hiding a known defect instead of disclosing it. It might feel like it saves hassle in the short term, but when a buyer discovers it during inspection or after moving in, it tends to escalate into a dispute that drags out the transaction and damages trust. Honest disclosure tends to protect both sides better over time.
Many sellers also underestimate how much timing matters. Trying to push a high price during a period when buyers are cautious and transaction volume is low often just leaves a listing sitting untouched for months. Price and timing need to be considered together, not decided separately.
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Common questions
Do I need to renovate before listing?
Not necessarily a full renovation. Usually, decluttering, fixing obvious flaws, and making sure basic functions work is enough. Whether a renovation budget is worth spending depends on the property's condition and target buyer, so it is worth discussing with Joanna before deciding.
How long is a typical listing agreement?
The exclusive-listing term is negotiated between the seller and agent and is often set for several months. During that period, it's worth tracking inquiry levels and viewing feedback closely, and discussing a pricing adjustment with your agent if the market response is weaker than expected.
Can I sell a home that still has a mortgage on it?
Yes, this is very common in practice. The outstanding mortgage typically needs to be paid off and the lien removed from the title before transfer completes. A land agent handles the process, but it's worth confirming the payoff amount with your bank in advance and checking whether an early payoff penalty applies.
How soon after closing do I get paid?
The remaining balance is usually settled on handover day, though actual bank processing can add a few business days depending on loan disbursement procedures. If there's an existing mortgage to pay off, the bank's own processing time also affects when funds actually land in your account.
Want clarity before you sell? Talk through the home's condition, timing, and goals with Joanna first.
You don't need to be 'ready' to reach out. Message Joanna anytime — buying, selling, or just trying to understand the market.
