Why should I use a professional Real Estate Agent?

Truthfully, you don’t have to have one. You can stick a sign in the yard and advertise online and save a commission for sure. But there are so many reasons to change your thinking.

1. Are you an expert is determining the best sales price for your home? Maybe not. Your home holds special value to you because it is YOUR home. It has memories and sentimental value. It has custom touches you love. It is hard to be completely objective about something so close to you. A Real Estate professional has training to provide you with sound and objective market data to help you list your home for a price the market will bear.

2. What’s the harm in listing a home too high? After all, you can always lower the price later. Right? This is usually a bad strategy. If you price too high, many people won’t even come see your house. Then if you do lower the price, folks may have already dismissed it. And homes that stay on the market too long can hold a stigma that something must be wrong with it. When in many cases it was just that it wasn’t priced right out the gate.

3. Do you understand the best ways to market your property? Just stick a sign in the yard and do some newspaper and online advertising and buyers will flock to you. Maybe and maybe not. A great agent develops a comprehensive Marketing Plan specific to your home and your needs. Is your home best suited for a first-time buyer or a growing family? Where is the target audience and how do you reach them? A great agent knows how to do this, has a network of resources and is accountable to you to deliver.

4. Buyers generally want representation because it is not often that we purchase real estate and we’re making a huge financial committment. Buyers don’t usually pay the agent’s commission so it only makes sense they want to see all the homes available – and maybe yours too. If you allow a represented buyer to see your house and they want to buy, someone needs to pay the agent’s commission. Plus, it doesn’t make sense that the buyer has the benefit of someone in their corner but it is just little old you on the other side of the table. Worse yet, if you decide you don’t want to let this represented buyer see your home, you just limited your market and maybe lost a sale. A lost willing buyer is a big loss to the FSBO guy.

The moral of the story is – price a home too high and you won’t get buyers. Price a home too low and it will probably sell fast but you likely left money on the table. You could be limiting your prospective buyers because they generally want the security of representation. The commission you’re trying to save could come back and bite you. Great agents are experts, accountable and worth every dime!