What's Wrong With Listing Without an Agent?

What's Wrong With Listing Without an Agent?

I get a lot of calls from sellers who are considering listing without the help of a real estate agent. People wonder whether it’s wise for them to attempt listing For Sale By Owner (or FSBO). It may not be impossible to sell your home on your own, but rarely will you see the same kinds of results as you would get from working with an agent.

Today, I want to go over just a few of the reasons you should think about hiring an agent to help you sell your home. 

If you are thinking about listing alone, consider the fact that the average FSBO listing sells for 14% less than homes sold with the help of a Realtor. I recently read another interesting point from the real estate newsletter Inman News. 

Inman News consistently found that across all the people they queried, those who listed with a Realtor were able to net much more money, even after the commission. Realtors also do all of the work for you. 

If you try to sell alone, you are making a lot more work for yourself in the process. The amount of paperwork involved in a real estate transaction is immense. Additionally, this paperwork needs to be done correctly and in a timely manner to ensure your deal doesn’t implode. Do you really want to run the risk of ruining a deal over some paperwork?

"If you try to sell alone, you are making a lot more work for yourself in the process."

Realtors go through numerous transactions each year. They bring a huge level of experience to the table. In fact, did you know that only 8% of all sold homes are listed as FSBO? And many homes within that 8% actually are sold to family or friends instead of a buyer on the market.

A huge part of the real estate process is negotiation. Realtors not only have the knowledge, experience, and skills to negotiate for your listing, but also to get your listing to that point of the process in general.

Another important aspect is pricing. How do you know you’re pricing your home correctly? Many people simply don’t understand how much their home is worth. My team and I once worked with a FSBO seller who was originally listing his property at $190,000. 

After he came to us, we were actually able to sell his home for a final price of $215,000. We were able to sell his property faster and for more money. Part of the reason this is possible is that we understand current market conditions. As professionals, my team and I understand how to gauge the market and act accordingly. 

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.