Do You Need a Real Estate Agent When Selling Your Home?

If you’re selling a home, you’re probably considering a real estate agent. Then again, you might be thinking how much you might save by selling your home yourself.

Real estate agents have their good points, and selling a home privately is not for everyone. Before you try, make sure you read the following tips.

Should I use a real estate agent?

There are many benefits to using a professional real estate agent. First of all, real estate agents are professionals. They have training in how to market and sell your home. They can advise you on realistic prices, help you make deals, and provide general expertise.

Real estate agents also network among each other. They have access to online and offline advertising you won’t be able to use, which means they can sell your house more quickly and expose it to more people. Also, if someone approaches a real estate agent looking to buy a house, they are less likely to contact someone selling as a for sale by owner (FSBO) unless they are working as excluisive buyer agents — they will network with each other to maximize fees.

So using a real estate agent probably means your house will sell more quickly and efficiently. If you’re in a hurry, this might not be the time to mess around with private sales.

If, on the other hand, you have plenty of time, it can’t hurt to put your house on the market privately first — you can always contact an agent later if it doesn’t sell. You’ll save money on real estate fees and be able to offer your home at a lower price since everything you collect will be profit.

However, keep in mind, if a home is on the market for a long time as a FSBO, then you list it, it does take away some of the newness of the listing in the fact that it’s already been for sale for some time.

If you decide to go it alone, be sure to ask a realistic price, advertise everywhere you can, and tell everyone you know that you’re looking to sell.