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3 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Sell Your Home Yourself

8 December 2015

Margie Craig

Are you thinking of putting your home up for sale? Are you considering listing it as "For Sale By Owner"? Many homeowners are tempted to list their home on their own because they see it as an opportunity to save money on the agent's commission. However, selling a home is no easy task. That's especially true if you don't have experience with the sales process. You'll quickly find that it's more difficult than simply putting up a sign and showing the home to potential buyers. Before you list it for sale by owner, consider the three reasons below on why you should work with an agent:

They'll be able to look at your home with an objective eye. One of the biggest steps in listing a home is getting it prepared for showings and assessing its value. To do that, you need to look at your home with a critical eye and really ascertain what buyers will and won't like about the property. It can sometimes be difficult for homeowners to do that. You may have emotional attachment to the home. You might value your design work and renovations more than buyers will. You may have a hard time removing furniture or personal affects that could clutter certain rooms.

With a real estate agent, they can objectively look at your house and tell you what buyers will and won't like. Also, your real estate agent will have the experience of knowing exactly what buyers want right now so you make any necessary improvements and get the maximum possible sales price.

They have experience negotiating with all parties. You may think that negotiation only involves agreeing on a sales price. In reality, there's much more to a real estate negotiation. You'll have agree on price and also when the transaction will close. You also may want the buyers to put money in escrow to protect you in case the deal falls through. Then you'll have the home inspection. If the inspector finds issues, you may have to convince him or her that the issues aren't really that important. Or you may have to negotiate the repairs with the buyers.

A real estate agent will have experience not just with negotiating the price but also with negotiating all other aspects of the transaction, from the buyer to the inspector to any attorneys that may be involved.

They can market your home online. Many buyers start their searches online. They look at pictures of homes online and then narrow their search before touring homes in person. If your home doesn't jump off the screen during an online search, you may miss a big portion of buyers.

Fortunately, most agents know how to present a house online. They can take attractive pictures to highlight the home's best features. They can also get the house on their agency's website as well as the local listing service that many buyers and brokers use. They may even be able to promote the home on social media. All of that can help your home get the exposure it needs to sell.

For more information, contact a real estate agency in your area, like Felte Real Estate. They can advise you on how best to sell your home.

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