Smooth ‘Sale-ing’ with Sean
Selling your home yourself might be tempting. Sure, low commission fees and no formal process of purchase might sound like an easy process. But what is the truth about selling your home yourself? Here are reasons why working with a realtor is better than going alone:
Experience
With over 15 years of real estate experience, I have seen a lot—including some surprises with the purchase of my own home. Wouldn’t it be better to hire someone who can anticipate and mitigate bumps in the road? I am trained and experienced in guiding you through the transaction process.
Real Estate Contract Expertise
Your broker is or should be keeping up on the state laws that govern real estate transactions. For example, are you familiar with FIRPTA? Some of the details of the real estate purchase contract are seemingly obscure, but part of the legal process of a sale. How do these rules and regulations impact your investment? Are you a landlord selling your rental property?
All of the legal documents are at your broker’s fingertips. We pay to have access to and use the required standard legal forms. Though tedious and voluminous, the paperwork is in place to protect you, your investment, and your payout. I ensure all the proper disclosure forms are in place so you don’t risk losing your earnest money should a buyer decide to back out. Or worse, a failed sale altogether.
Title Company
Are you equipped to navigate working with a title company? My brokerage and I have established relationships with title companies. The behind-the-scenes preparation influences how smoothly the closing process will go. They ensure all the boxes are checked so your home sale is recorded properly. This attention to detail mitigates errors that if not attended to, may come back to haunt you in the future.
Pricing
FSBOs accounted for 8% of home sales in 2018. The typical FSBO home sold for $217,900 compared to $295,000 for agent-assisted home sales. Source: 2020 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers(link is external)
I also provide:
- The multi-page, detailed property entry in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) system. FSBO charges around $400 for this service.
- Professional property photography and staging company recommendations so your listing makes that good first impression that is so critical in a competitive market.
- Coordination of showings with buyers’ agents.
- Installation of a lockbox.
- Production and installation of property signage and flyers.
- Marketing your property and buying ads and mailers to promote them.
- Docusign account, ensuring quick turn-around times on electronic signatures and document delivery.
- Access to other resources not readily available to the public.
Why spend time managing these details when you could have an expert handle them for you? While the allure of saving 1 or 2% in commission fees may tempt you, prepare yourself to make the sale of your home a full-time job. As they say, you get what you pay for! Anyone who has cut their own hair knows this to be true–and that some things are better left to the professionals. Contact me to discuss how I can help you with the smooth sale of your home!
Originally published December 16, 2020
