The Real World Advantages & Disadvantages of Using a Real Estate Agent to Sell Your Home
Are you a real estate pro? If you are planning to sell your property and don't really consider yourself an expert in real estate selling then you may want to consider seeking out a reputable real estate agent to sell your property. But you can also choose to sell your home yourself and such real estate sales are termed as For Sale by Owner (FSBO).
Many real estate experts argue that any professional help you may get to sell your home is good. It assures you positive results and is beneficial for a number of other reasons, which are all related directly to your bottom line (profit).
The Disadvantages
The most glaring disadvantage is the commission/fees. When you retain the services of a real estate agent, you?re bound to pay the commission for the sale made. This number usually runs into thousands and is discouragement enough for many property owners who don't want to share their profit. However, you must also understand that selling your own property is not devoid of drawbacks. Only indulge in FSBO is you have the time and can make the commitment to learn the whole process of selling - listing the real estate, staging the property to prospective buyers, closing the deal, documentation etc.
It's been observed that prospective buyers tend to offer at least 6-10% less on FSBO as they know that you don't have any commission to pay! But, if you are willing to see it through then this can be extremely financially rewarding for you. For ex: you can save as much as $25,000 on a $400,000 property sale!
The Advantages
The bottom-line is that real estate agents charge you hefty fees and commissions for a reason. Selling real estate is a time consuming and dedicated process. Here are a few reasons why seeking help from a real estate agent makes more sense:
Evaluation of your property
A real estate agent helps you fix the "right" sales price for your home. In an FSBO you may risk everything if your asking price is too high or too low.
Preparation of home for sales
Experienced real estate agents know what prospective buyers look for in a home on sale. They guide you in preparing your home for sale and some even assist you in getting the repairs and clean up done.
Advertising your home
It's best to leave the advertising of your home in the hands of experts. They place your property on the Internet, signs, flyers, MLS, classifieds etc. The agent bears the expense of advertising and incase the home doesn't sell, they eat the cost!
Staging your home and taking care of legalities
A real estate agent is equipped to deal with questions posed by potential buyers and can differentiate between the good and bad ones and do the negotiating. They can easily take care of all the legal paperwork as well.
Finally, however you wish to sell your home, the most important thing is to be well-aware about all the related issues concerning sale of the property.
Robert Sanford writes for the home sales advice site http://www.home-selling-miracles.com. Check the site out for more information on preparing your home for sale and actually selling it today.
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