These days, there are plenty of online resources and apps for those looking to buy or sell a home. You may be asking yourself — do I really need a real estate agent? At Wallace and Dean, we think there are plenty of benefits to working with a real estate agent, and in today’s blog post, we’re talking about how working with our Houston team can help you when you’re selling a house. Contact us today to learn more!
Multiple Listings
As we mentioned, there are plenty of resources available for homeowners who plan to sell their property on their own. However, there are some resources that just aren’t as accessible to those who aren’t licensed real estate agents. Multiple listing services, for example, which allow Realtors® to publish home listings to a large number of sites and send them to buyer’s agents, are often only available to licensed real estate agents in your state. Homeowners who want to utilize a service like this will likely pay a fee or pay commission to a broker for access.
Marketing
Marketing is the next important step in selling a house, and it can require both a lot of time and experience to be done effectively. Simply listing your home and waiting to receive offers isn’t a good strategy for selling it quickly or for a high price. Listing agents know how to highlight your home’s best features, bring it to the attention of the best prospects, and adjust the listing over time depending on the responses or inquiries they receive.
Make More Money
Why do people choose to sell their homes? In almost every case, because they think they can make money without a Realtor®’s fee or commission. There are a couple factors that make this reasoning less effective. For one, many of the buyers considering for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) homes are bargain hunters — you think you can save money by avoiding agents, and so do they, which means they tend to make lower offers. A recent study found that FSBO homes often sold for about 30% less than comparable homes sold by Realtors®.
Fiduciary Interest
Another important detail to remember about working with a real estate agent is that they are working for your best interests, and in most cases, they won’t be paid until your home is sold. A licensed real estate agent under an agency agreement has a fiduciary responsibility to you, which means they legally have to put your interests above their own. If they don’t, you have the option to pursue legal action. Acting as a fiduciary can include not only finding you the best potential buyer and negotiating for the best price, but also preserving your privacy and the confidentiality of your information throughout the process.
Access
Real estate agents find success through curated professional connections and interpersonal relationships. Not only do many agents work with both buyers and sellers, and therefore have a pre-made list of prospects, but they often can access information on potential buyers from other agents as well. In addition, they can know a lot of other useful people who can smooth the process of selling a home, such as contractors, pest control specialists, lawyers, and more.
Knowledge and Experience
Of course, one of the greatest advantages of working with a Realtor® is the knowledge and experience they bring to the table. This can benefit you in a number of ways. For example, choosing the right price for your home is crucial to success, and they have the data and the understanding to do it correctly. They can also advocate for you throughout the negotiating process to get the best possible price on your home, or help you handle uncommon situations, such as all-cash offers or bidding wars. Our real estate agents, Ryan and Amy, have decades of experience between them that they can apply to helping you get the best price for your home.
Less Paperwork
The most important instance to apply your Realtor®’s experience is when it comes to the paperwork! Many agreements are around 10 pages or longer, and if you were going through the process alone, you would have to read it through yourself – and likely do some research into more than a few terms – to fully understand it. A real estate agent can check the paperwork on your behalf, explain it, and answer your questions, all while helping you avoid any possible mistakes with legal or financial consequences.
Time
Along with expertise and a good price for your home, time is a front-running benefit of working with a real estate agent. Selling a home can be incredibly time-consuming, and there is a lot to handle, including:
- Reaching out to qualified prospects
- Vetting potential buyers
- Responding to questions or requests
- Keeping your home clean and presentable
- Preparing for open houses or showings
- Going through the paperwork
If it sounds like a full-time job, that’s because it is — for your Realtor®! They can handle many of these tasks to minimize the time and effort on you.
Sell Your House With Wallace & Dean
At Wallace & Dean, we don’t just believe that working with a Houston real estate agent can make the process of selling a house easier — we strive to make it true! Take advantage of our experience and our dedication to sell your home and move forward with all your real estate dreams. Contact us today to get started!