Why You Should Work With a Real Estate Agent to Sell Your Home

You have found an amazing new home community for you and your family. You can envision your “perfect” home there. But there is one big thing left outstanding: Selling your current home. You keep trying to weigh the options and decide if you should hire a real estate agent or take the for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) route. After all, you are not required by law to use an agent to sell your home.

But selling your home doesn’t have to be an added stressor. You may be able to save yourself headaches and valuable time by working with a real estate agent.

Let’s take a look at five of the advantages of choosing an agent vs. FSBO.

The Person With The Experience and Education

Real estate agents spend each day focusing on one thing— selling homes for their clients or helping them buy one. They’ve spent a great deal of time gaining experience and honing their craft, and no one is more qualified during each step of the process. They also know how to make real estate transactions as easy as possible for their clients.

Agents also have access to industry tools like MLS. They have their own personal websites and social media accounts that have hundreds of visitors a month and an engaged group of active followers. They also have a network of other agents who have buyers at the ready.

Why not hire someone who has the experience and knowledge so that you don’t have to learn it all now?

Hard-To-Handle Paperwork

Selling a home involves massive amounts of paperwork at every step of the process, some of which involves complicated legal requirements. Unless you have the time to devote to fully understanding and putting together this paperwork, this is a big reason that turns many people away from selling a home on their own.

One mistake or item left out on the paperwork you file on your own could mean an appearance in court or costly fines. Real estate agents deal with these listings and contracts on a daily basis. They will help ensure the paperwork is being handled correctly and take this burden off your shoulders.

Knowing The Numbers On Your Neighborhood

One of the big factors that determines a home’s sale price is what the comparable properties in the neighborhood are listed for or have recently sold for. But, there are so many factors to take into account when trying to base your sale price on recent neighborhood activity, especially if there are brand-new homes being built or that have recently sold.

Good local real estate agents will have intimate knowledge of the recent buzz in your neighborhood, as well as past sales. They also know how to quickly get that knowledge. They will be able to look at comparable properties listed recently, which ones had upgrades, and other relevant information to get you the best price. They also have access to detailed latest market conditions.

An Agent Plays Buffer

One of the most annoying and time-consuming things about selling a home is dealing with “lookie-loos.” These are people who may have a pipe dream of buying a new home but are in no position to realistically do so in the near future. Without an agent, you are solely left to deal with all of them.

An agent can utilize several methods to efficiently screen interested parties and act as a buffer so that you don’t have to deal with anyone but serious buyers. They also have the ability to induce serious buyers to act quickly on making an offer.

Make More Money With An Agent

Selling with an agent can mean selling your home faster. But even after commissions, it may also mean more money in your pocket. According to the National Association of Realtors 2018 research study, for-sale-by-owner homes sold for an average of $200,000 compared to agent-assisted homes, which sold for an average of $265,000.

Looking at those particular numbers, let’s assume you are paying a 5% commission to the agent for the sale (or $13,250). You are still coming out $51,750 ahead of the for-sale-by-owner average sales. That’s not only more money in your pocket but also more precious time saved for you and your family.

These are just some of the advantages of utilizing a real estate agent to sell your home. Of course, there are some times or situations where you could effectively sell your home on your own. Especially if the current market is a seller’s market and you have the time and energy to put all of your focus into selling your home right now.

But more often than not, the time, energy and headaches saved by hiring an agent will outweigh trying to sell on your own. It may even get you in your new home faster.

SEDA New Homes

If you have questions about purchasing a home from SEDA New Homes, please talk with one of our licensed real estate agents. Contact us online or stop by one of the model homes in our communities today to learn more.