From value to sale: How Bordes with Setle better guides buyers and sellers

Brecht, Stijn and Kyara from Bordes share their experience with Setle

Bordes is a leading real estate agency with five offices in Izegem, Merelbeke, Waregem, Oostrozebeke and Hooglede. With a team of 19 enthusiastic employees and more than 2,200 completed transactions, they serve 54 municipalities in Flanders. By integrating renovation tool Setle, they strengthen their personal and thoughtful approach, offering both buyers and sellers realistic insights into the real estate market. In this interview, managers Brecht and Stijn Romel, together with broker Kyara, share their experiences with Setle.

The power of the renovation tool

Brecht: “For us, it is important to be able to offer buyers not only a home, but also a future perspective. With Setle, we can give potential buyers direct insight into what a renovation will cost them, what subsidies are possible and how the home's EPC label may evolve. This makes it much easier to win buyers over.”

With the renovation calculator, Bordes can offer buyers insight into both necessary and optional renovations in just a few clicks. This gives buyers guidance, even if they have little experience renovating.

Kyara: “Many buyers don't know what they're getting into when they buy a renovation property. With Setle, we can guide them from the very first moment. By making the total costs and subsidies visible, we can lower the threshold. We create our own renovation reports in Setle and download the pdf. We use this report to give advice on how buyers can make their homes more energy efficient.”

Realistic pricing for sellers

Stijn: “The market has changed a lot recently. The renovation obligation is putting heavy pressure on the sale of older properties. We used to sell smaller houses easily, but now it's a lot harder because buyers have to take renovation costs into account right away.”

Kyara: “Sellers often want the maximum price for their property, but they don't always realize what a buyer still has to invest in renovations. With Setle, we can make this very concrete. We show how much the buyer still needs to invest to make the home meet current EPC standards. This helps us adjust sellers' expectations and get to a realistic asking price faster.”

Brecht: “We also see it in our portfolio. More than 50% of the properties we sell fall under the renovation requirement. That has a direct impact on the sales price.”

By alerting sellers to the necessary interventions, such as roof insulation or outdated installations, Bordes' brokers can convince sellers to make the price more realistic. This makes homes sell faster.

Kyara: “Sometimes sellers only see the charm of their home and not the flaws. Thanks to the renovation insights from Setle, we can objectively explain why a lower asking price is better for the sales chances.”

In what ways do you deploy Setle?

Setle is widely used by Bordes, both for buying and valuation and for selling, and even after.

Kyara: “We find that buyers show interest in the tool even after the compromise. It allows them to work out the complete renovation and thus prepare for an appointment with the bank for a loan application. This is why we leave the tool available longer, so buyers can use it even after the purchase process.”

This approach allows buyers to understand renovation options at their own pace, even after the compromise has been signed.

A distinctive service

By using Setle, Bordes positions itself as a real estate agent who looks beyond the sale alone. They offer both buyers and sellers tailored insight and guidance.

Brecht: “By integrating Setle into our process, we can really add something. Buyers get a clear picture of the possibilities of their dream home, and sellers learn to look realistically at the value of their home. This transparency leads to faster and more successful sales processes.”

Kyara: “Our goal is to find the best solution for each client. By being open and honest about renovation costs and sales potential, we get satisfied customers. Setle helps us do that.”