Real Estate
Ready To Sell Your Home? Here’s Why You Need A Real Estate Agent
When you're ready to sell your home, it can be tempting to consider doing it yourself. Here are the top reasons you should hire an agent.
Homes have become more important than ever over the past year, and many people are looking to either upgrade to a different house with more space, or downsize and relocate to a different area. Whether you fall into either of these categories or have your own reasons for selling your home, one thing is constant: You’ll definitely want to hire a real estate agent to help you sell.
There are many benefits of hiring an agent to sell a home. Below, you’ll find tips on finding an agent, what to look for in the agent you choose and the right time to look for one. Additionally, when selecting the right agent to sell your home, there are a few key questions you can ask in the interview process to help you decide whether that agent is the best fit for you.
The Basics
Ideally, you’ll want to hire a real estate agent as soon as you decide you want to sell your home. They’ll come in and help you stage the property if necessary, give advice on repairs and, essentially, get your home in the best possible shape before listing. They may even have good relationships with local contractors to get you a better price on those things.
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When searching for the right agent, don’t be afraid to ask questions including: Have they sold homes in your neighborhood or close by? How long have they worked in the area? What exactly do they plan to do to market your home? How will they communicate with you? The right agent can also explain current market conditions and break down exactly what they mean for you. Look for someone you trust and with whom you have a good rapport. Make sure they have the experience to answer all of your questions about pricing, contracts, negotiations and more.
Negotiation
One of the best reasons to hire a real estate agent to help sell your home is their ability to handle the negotiating for you. According to Keeping Current Matters, there are several competing interests here: the buyer, of course, who wants the best deal possible; the buyer’s agent, who represents the best interests of the buyer; the inspection companies, which work for the buyer; and the appraiser, if there is a question of value. Real estate agents have been trained in these negotiations, which will be to your advantage.
Find out what's happening in Morris Township-Morris Plainsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Safety And The Law
The safety of you and your family is what matters most. Real estate professionals make it much safer and easier to control access to your home, whether through open houses or virtual tours. Protecting your privacy and your belongings will be a priority for them. In addition, the red tape involved with selling on your own has increased exponentially, in order to protect both buyers and sellers from a legal standpoint. It’s very easy to get overwhelmed or make a mistake because you are unfamiliar with all the legal requirements. Let a real estate agent handle both the showing of your house and the documentation involved to save yourself the time and the headache.
Money Matters
If you try to sell your house by yourself, you will not be privy to the buyer’s mortgage details. This could end up working against you, since you need to know whether a buyer is actually qualified to purchase your home. Real estate agents know the right questions to ask and can be more involved with the process.
In addition, you’ll probably make more money on your home if you sell with an agent — they have the ability to increase its exposure by listing it on the local MLS, their own brokerage/personal websites and other online sources. This gets more eyes on the listing, which attracts more potential buyers and could increase the selling price of your house. In today’s digital home-browsing atmosphere, marketing is everything, and you don’t want your home to fall through the cracks.
The Bottom Line
There are many steps involved in selling a home. When you could net the same amount of money — or even more — by hiring an agent, don’t try to manage this incredibly important and complex transaction by yourself. Put that saved time and energy into setting up your own new digs, and let a professional handle the selling for you.