So you’ve decided to sell your home. What’s the next step? Now you have to decide whether you want to sell your home on your own or sell your home using a real estate agent. Some say that selling a home on your own actually saves you money, but there are so many hassles to worry about that the small amount you might save won’t make much of a difference in the long run. Selling without an agent can be pretty dangerous and create way more work for you than necessary. Here’s why:
1. You won’t get any of the agent specific services. Without a real estate agent, you miss out on all of the extra perks that go along with one. For example, typically, a real estate agent works for a real estate broker which means that you actually get a broker along with your agent. This way, you get even more services than you had expected. Some of the specific services include pre-screening of potential buyers, evaluation of the price of your home, marketing, and negotiation of the best sale price of your home. Aside from these extra services, the agent does everything that they need to do; real estate isn’t your job so you shouldn’t have to do it. You won’t have to use up your extra time or money.
2. You won’t get the wide exposure. If you sell your own home, you may have somewhat of a network that you will reach, but that network will be nothing in comparison to who a real estate agent can reach. Real estate agents already have large networks of people that they market to, including other agents who also have clients that they could potentially reach. If you want to sell your house more quickly, a real estate agent is the way to go; you’ll reach more people in a shorter amount of time.
3. You won’t be as picky with potential buyers. If you sell your own home, you may not be sure what to look for in potential buyers or even how to monitor the people that come to look at your home. You may end up with people in your home that aren’t even interested in buying; they just want to look around. As mentioned above, a real estate agent will pre-screen all potential buyers and accompany the qualified ones through your home. An agent will make sure that you only get potential buyers that are serious about buying your home.
4. You don’t have the experience and skill of an agent. Even if you have experience in sales or negotiating, a real estate agent knows their market well, especially the local market in which you are trying to sell your home. You may not know as well as an agent what a home should sell for in your area; an agent will make sure that your home sells for the price that it should be sold for. An agent will be prepared for the negotiations, offers, and counteroffers, whereas, you may not be as prepared to handle something like that.
5. You’ll have more of an emotional attachment to your home. If you’re trying to sell your own home, you might make more mistakes than someone who has no emotional attachment to your home. You may want to price your home at a price that is way over what it should be. It will be harder for you to deal with and react to potential buyers offering a lower price, potential buyers rejecting your home, or potential buyers giving negative comments about your home. Getting a real estate agent allows you to be more removed from the situation. A real estate agent is going to know how to react to all of the comments, and they may even be able to find a way to put a positive spin on everything.
6. You put yourself at legal risk. If you sell your home on your own, there’s a greater chance that you could get into legal trouble. There is a lot of paperwork that goes into selling a home; if you get any of it wrong, you can be held liable for fraud, negligence, or breach of contract if you don’t disclose properly. Your agent is going to be much more knowledgeable about all of the disclosure laws that need to be followed.
Finding a real estate agent to sell your home is going to make your life much easier than if you were to try to sell your home on your own. The benefits of hiring a real estate agent greatly outweigh any of the benefits of selling your home on your own. Do yourself a favor and hire a real estate agent when you decide to sell your home.
