The idea of shelling out thousands of dollars for something you could do yourself sounds ridiculous. This is why so many people try to sell their home themselves. However, if you look at the facts and what a real estate agent really does, you will see why they are worth the money. The advantages of using a real estate agent when selling your home are many.
Experience
A real estate agent will use their experience to make sure the selling process is as smooth as possible for you. Many people who are selling their homes themselves often find themselves overwhelmed as they have no knowledge of what is actually involved in the selling process. Your real estate transaction will go a lot smoother when you have a real estate agent representing and assisting you in the sale.
Marketing
The real estate agent has the major advantage of being about to list your home for sale in the MLS. The Multiple Listing Service is used by real estate agents all over the country and offers a detailed description of every home for sale. Your home will be seen by every real estate agent and increases the chances of your home being sold quickly. Along with this, your agent will have a large network of other agents that are representing buyers in your area. This exposure is priceless in comparison to trying to sell the home on your own.
Price
Your real estate agent, who is knowledgeable about the industry, will be able to get you the best price possible for your home. After a thorough inspection of your home, they will use comparable homes that have sold in your area to come up with the fair market value of your home. If you’ve made improvements to your home since you bought it, they’ll make sure to adjust the asking price accordingly. Should your home need work, they may even recommend that you do it prior to listing as it will give you a greater return. For example, just installing vinyl replacement windows could get more people interested in your home or get you a much better price. The fact is that enlisting the assistance of a real estate agent, you are actually securing the sale of your home. Homeowners that try to sell their homes by themselves often find that it can take ten times longer to sell their home and, quite often, they find the price they get does not meet their expectations. So even if you do not want to pay thousands to sell your home, the fact is that you will end up with more money as you will get a higher price when it sells through a real estate agent.
