Real Estate Agents: The Fiscal Plague of Selling Your Home
Selling a house is stressful, emotional, and often confusing. Especially with a bad real estate agent.
It is a long, arduous process that usually ends up leaving the seller breaking even-or worse, depending on the situation you find yourself in and the demands of the real estate agent you are working with.
The truth is, the only person that is going to love your home and showcase it with as much passion as you have is you.
So, when selling your home, especially in this age of technology and globalization, it doesn’t make sense to pass the responsibility off some real estate agent whose only motivation is monetary.
This article was devised with that in mind, to help you break the mold and find five reasons to avoid real estate agents when selling your home.
1. The Internet is Your Friend…and a Real Estate Agent’s Biggest Advisory
At one time, not too long ago, before you could perform every task a realtor does, simply by doing a few quick searches- and knowing what to search for, real estate agents were needed. They were useful.
Now, thanks to the internet, the thousands of dollars usually spent on commissions can be utilized elsewhere, without fear of losing out on a better price.
To get the ball rolling, here are a few key topics to search:
- Homes Recently Sold in My Area: If you are realistic in pinpointing the houses that most resemble your home, it is easy to find an accurate price point. People think that the know-how to accurately price a house is inlaid in the goblet of the Holy Grail when it is really a simple comparison exercise.
- How to Stage a House: When your house goes on the market, you want it to look like the prize-winning piece of real estate that it is and therefore, the pictures you take for the listing are amply important. So, learn some tricks to stage your house, so that you can take the best pictures possible…and don’t be stingy!
- Laws in My Area About Selling a House: You can’t play the game if you don’t know the rules, so this is an important search. Before revealing your house in any capacity, make sure that you and your home is adhering to all the laws and ordinances for your area.
2. A Dollar Saved…Is a Dollar that Isn’t Wasted on Commissions!
The average commission, taken out of your house sale is six-percent. That doesn’t sound too bad until you consider the amount of money you are giving up when there is a workaround that will save you thousands. (Yes. Thousands.)
Here’s an example:
If you sell your house for $300,000, the typical real estate deal will be taking $18,000 in commissions. That is before closing costs and any other monetary issues are settled.
Now, regardless of whether you sell your house or seek representation, it should be recognized that commissions need to be paid out to the buyer’s real estate agent. So, that will put you at a minimum of $9,000, as per this example.
Yet, there are two specific and important costs that should be associated with forgoing a real estate agent.
The first would be the cost of purchasing a Multiple Listing Service (MLS) listing. This listing will cost about ninety-five dollars and it will provide your house with the same exposure as a traditionally listed house.
The second is enlisting the expertise of a real estate lawyer. The average lawyer will cost around $1,500. That is only 0.005% of a $300,000 house and you receive the assurance that you jumped through all the necessary legal hoops when selling your house.
3. Secrets of the Trade (Read: Things Real Estate Agents Don’t Want You to Know)
Knowing how to find the information you seek is half the secret of being successful at selling your home. The other half is the promotion of your home.
Here are a few secrets that realtors don’t want you to know:
- Realtors don’t make their money on commissions alone. Between bonuses and simply getting you to list with them, realtors generally work off multiple income streams.
- Every realtor has their own team of “professionals” who are tasked with helping the realtor close the sale. Whether it’s a home inspector, or even the people realtors hire to pretend to be buyers, (yes, they really do that) it’s all part of the show.
4. Always Be Closing…On Your House
While it is a real estate agent’s job to promote houses, it isn’t always in their best interest to promote your house. The potential reasons for that are endless, but essentially, unless you are selling a mansion and they have top commission staked in it, you can’t always rely on the agent to think of your house first.
When you are selling your house, the only house you’re thinking of is your house and therefore, it will receive all your attention. During the opportunities you have-or create, to talk about your real estate, your house will be the main (and only) event. Therefore, it will receive the undivided attention it deserves.
5. There’s an Easier Way That Will Make Everyone Happy!
For those who would like to skip to the front of the proverbial line and don’t want to worry about selling anything, there’s an easier way. When you sell your house to Max Cash Home Offers, you simply take the cash and move out. There’s no realtors, no fees, and no putting on a show!
Transactions usually take between one week and one month to complete, giving you cash for your home.
In summation, we behoove you to remember these five reasons to avoid real estate agents when selling your home and consider the more affordable, easier options available to you.
If you’re interested in how much cash you could get for your home, contact us today!
Max Cash Home Offers offers instant cash offers on houses nationwide. We do not provide legal or financial advice. For information on foreclosure, eviction or any other legal situation make sure you contact a local attorney.
