Homes Sold Faster and For More Money when listed by a Realtor®
According to the National Association of Realtors 2012 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers report, homes sold by a Realtor® sold for 25% more than FSBO (for sale by owner) homes. In 2012, the typical For Sale By Owner home sold for $184,000, while homes sold with the assistance of a REALTOR® averaged $230,000. Selling a home without the aid of a professional is not for everyone. It’s sort of like rewiring or re-plumbing a house with no experience. There are a number of reasons that FSBO sellers experienced difficulties with selling on their own. We have listed some of them below.
Navigating and understanding the paperwork. There are a large number of contracts and forms that contain verbiage and legalese which can be confusing without the assistance of a Realtor to help translate it and make clear where, and why, they have to be signed and initialed.
Setting the right price. Determining a selling price for your home can be very complicated. It requires research and resources that are not readily available to folks outside the real estate world. Things that need to be considered are what the home will appraise for, and what similar homes in the area have sold for recently. Putting a price on your home based on what you think it’s worth, may backfire. This is where a Realtor is invaluable, helping take the guesswork out of the pricing process.
Preparing the home, such as fixing or staging. Being able to look at your home objectively can be challenging. It is advisable to have a practiced set of eyes go thru the home with you to advise on any repairs or updating needed to put your homes best side forward. Realtors know what buyers want, and what they don’t, what will impress them, and what will turn them off.
Attracting the right buyer. As a homeowner selling on your own, how do you know where to find the buyers that are looking for a home and a neighborhood like yours? A Realtor has access to advertising and strategic marketing to reach a wider range of buyers that are in a particular market, and may likely know of a buyer that is looking for a home just like yours!
Selling on time. If you have to sell your house on a schedule, and have limited time to make it all happen, a Realtor is a great resource. They have the skills and experience to help move the process more quickly than you could on your own. And when considering an offer from a buyer, sometimes the ability to close quickly trumps more money. Having a Realtor to handle the negotiations is an advantage you shouldn’t go without.
Having enough time to administer the sale process . Selling a home has a lot of moving parts that all have to finish at the right time, per the contract. It can be a laborious coordination of phone calls, emails, faxes, appointments and signatures. Add to that having a job and a family, and you get chaos. Your Realtor does this for a living, and can take all those moving parts off your plate.
Helping buyers obtain financing to close the deal.Once a buyer expresses interest in purchasing your home, how do you know if they are qualified, or can close the deal? Once again, this is where a Realtor has your back. A Realtor will be your advocate, especially in today’s real estate market where there are often multiple offers on every listing. A Realtor can help you choose the offer that makes sense for you.
When dealing with your largest asset, it is advisable to enlist the help of a Realtor. Call or email us today. Let us put our expertise to work for you.
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