Tuesday, October 2, 2018 / by Amber Felton
Listing with an Agent Vs. Selling Directly
Selling a home can be a daunting task. It involves proper pricing, legal compliance and paperwork, effective marketing, time, dedication, and the list continues. Deciding whether to list with an agent or sell directly is a dilemma that many sellers face. If you happen to be one of those sellers who is having trouble deciding, keep reading!
1.) Costs
The main determinate for many sellers who choose to sell their homes directly typically revolves around financial expenses. While it is true that selling directly can save you up to 6 percent of the final selling price, you could incur additional expenses by choosing this method.
Listing with an agent ensures that you will have accurate pricing for your home. An agent will have an appraiser to visit your home and do a full inspection. As a direct seller, this is an important step that is often overlooked. You could cheat yourself out of money by not having an accurate assessment of what your home is worth.
Agents know how to negotiate pricing with potential buyers. Effective price negotiation could be the difference in you gaining or losing that extra $1,000 that you were hoping to get for your home.
2.) Marketing
The reality is no one is going to purchase your home if they do not know it is for sell. This is where the perks of listing with an agent can really benefit you. At The Trisha Cook Team in particular, our agents have access to top of the line marketing platforms and strategies. With an in-house marketing department, your home will receive more than just a "for sale" sign in your front yard. And let's face it in today's society if you want your home to stand out and maximize its buyer potential you must have a strong digital and print presence as well as realtor connections.
Many direct sellers have a lack of insight on how to properly market their home to fully optimize its selling potential. Working with an agent can eliminate the stress of ensuring that your home is receiving the proper attention. With that extra time, you can apply your focus towards packing and preparing for your big move.
3.) Legal Documentation
Agents have undergone strategic, professional training to make sure that they understand every legal aspect of real estate. The majority of direct sellers have not gone through this intensive training and so there are many areas of the legal side of real estate that they do not understand.
This is probably the largest difference
Ready to list your home with an agent? Contact us today at 912.737.2935 to schedule a listing consultation!