Selling a home is a huge financial and emotional undertaking. While it may be tempting to try to forgo commission fees, it may end up costing you more time and money in the long run. A REALTOR® provides invaluable time, expertise, and negotiating skills that can make all the difference in how quickly your home sells, how much it sells for, and how smooth the process is. Here are the top five reasons you should have a REALTOR® when you sell your home.
They lend expertise
Most people will only take part in a handful of real estate transactions in their lifetime, oftentimes many years apart. An experienced REALTOR® is professionally trained and confident with all the documents, contracts, and jargon that comes with the industry because they deal with them on a regular basis. They can make sure any contracts you sign protect you and include the necessary contingencies in case any problems arise. There’s simply no replacement for the expertise they bring to the table.
They are comfortable negotiating
Negotiating can be tricky, especially in a competitive market. A REALTOR® will know the market and can provide insight on what’s a fair offer. Selling your home is an emotional process, and it can be helpful to have someone that can give advice not influenced by that emotional connection. This can prevent you from making quick decisions you may regret later on, like rejecting an offer you find too low or offensive without trying to negotiate.
A REALTOR® puts you first
Your agent will be the only other person in the transaction who has solely your interests in mind. They want to make sure you’re happy not only because it’s their job, but also because agents thrive off of connections and networking. They want you to feel confident enough in them that you would recommend them or use them again in a future transaction. And legally speaking, a REALTOR® must adhere to a Code of Ethics, and they have a fiduciary duty to the client, which means they are legally obligated to act in their clients' best interest.
They’ll take the bulk of the work off your plate
Selling a home can be a lot of work. Agents list and market your home, answer phone calls and emails, make appointments and attend showings, follow up with the buyer’s agent, and more. Time is often of the essence in real estate, and if you miss calls or can’t attend showings because you already have a full time job, you could miss out on potential buyers. Your REALTOR® will be used to fielding phone calls and holding showings on short notice and will take a huge amount of work off your shoulders.
For sale by owner (FSBO) homes sell for less
You may think forgoing an agent will save you money on commission, but that’s ultimately not the case for most homes. In 2019, FSBO homes sold at a median of $200,000, signi?cantly lower than agent-assisted homes at $280,000. Even ignoring all the other reasons to hire a REALTOR®, the bottom line is that you lose out on potential buyers and better offers without one.
Looking to sell? Check out our blog post on the Top 5 Reasons to have a REALTOR® When Buying a Home. Or take a look at our agent list or contact us to speak to our experienced agents today.
