Don’t Go it Alone When Selling Your Home
Partner with a Realtor for Best Results!
Most of the people I know wouldn’t dream of tackling a complex plumbing or electrical project on their own. Most wouldn’t do their own auto maintenance or attempt complicated home appliance repairs. So I admit to being surprised whenever I hear about someone with no experience in real estate deciding not to hire a Realtor when selling a home.
The veritable mountain of real estate information available online can tempt some homeowners to believe that a little Internet research can equate to the entire body of knowledge necessary to prepare and market a home for sale. But the flaw in that thinking is that it’s virtually impossible to know which information is the correct information – not to mention which advice is pertinent to a seller’s unique situation.
Real estate agents have both the education and the experience necessary to facilitate a home sale. When I partner with a client to sell a home, there are countless services I provide to give my client an edge in the market. I have connections that I can leverage to help clients manage all aspects of a sale from staging to advertising to negotiating with a prospective buyer. I have a pantheon of contacts among mortgage brokers, real estate attorneys, home inspectors, landscapers, and interior designers. I can tell the difference between the casual home shopper and the serious buyer. I have lists of comparable neighborhood properties at my fingertips and I know which home features to highlight and which to downplay during showings. And I can give honest advice about properly pricing a home to sell.
Perhaps one of the most valuable tools that a Realtor has in his or her arsenal is intimate knowledge of changing market conditions. Nothing influences the process of selling a home like the current climate of the real estate market in a specific area. I can provide clients with the inside knowledge they need to leverage market conditions in their favor. For example, in a seller’s market, where there is high demand and low inventory, I would develop a marketing strategy that is markedly different than when operating in a buyer’s market, where a glut of properties can make it more competitive to sell a home.
If you aren’t yet convinced that you need to collaborate with a real estate agent when selling your home, there are a couple of facts about home sales by owner compared to Realtor-assisted sales that might interest you. For one thing, sales by owner have been declining in recent years when compared to sales assisted by Realtors. Homes sold by owner are likely stay on the market two to three weeks longer on average before sale than those sold with the aid of a Realtor. And most importantly, selling your house with the help of an agent is likely to result in a higher sale price and more money in your pocket than if you go it alone – even when factoring in the agent’s commission.
When it comes to selling your home, it’s essential to develop a partnership with a seasoned agent who can help you achieve the best possible results. I encourage prospective sellers to speak to me directly so that I can give you an overview of my philosophy and deliver a detailed explanation of the many services that I can provide. If you’re considering selling your home, I urge you to contact me before making the decision to sell your house on your own.