Top 5 Reasons Why You Need a Realtor to Help Sell Your Home

So you’re ready to list your home but you might be wondering, do you even need a Realtor?

With more and more information available online you may feel like working with a Realtor will just result in a lot of fees and money out of your pocket. There are sites that allow you to view home prices for free and they don’t require a middle man.

However unless you have a lot of time to get trained in real estate education, negotiation tactics specifically for real estate, and the time to learn the market, it is in your best interest to have someone by your side who is skilled in these areas and has plenty of experience to help you out.

Here’s why…

Realtors know how to find the right buyers

While you likely only have a small window of time during the day to look for potential home buyers, Realtors will be able to dedicate a lot more time and resources since this is their profession.

The main reason you need a Realtor to help sell your home is that they know how to get your house to the right buyers. They will be able to get in contact with the people who are currently looking for a home like yours. 

Realtors also have access to even more listings than you’ll find online by yourself. Your home needs a customized marketing plan in order to find those right potential buyers. Realtors know the best practices for what works in their area and they have a large network to reach out to. 

Finding a Realtor to help you sell your home is a must, as are these Top 10 Things You Must Do When Listing Your Home. 

Realtors can get your home sold for a higher amount

When you work with a Realtor, their top concern will be you and making sure all of your needs are met. A good Realtor is experienced at negotiating on their client’s behalf and will be able to do so successfully and unemotionally. 

If you attempt to negotiate with a buyer and their real estate agent on your own, then you would also have to deal with difficult back-and-forths and negative comments about your home on your own too. You’ll also be more likely to list your home unreasonably high, resulting in little chance of getting it sold, or too low, resulting in selling the home for much less than what you could have received. 

Another skill that Realtors have is knowing how to get qualified buyers to be interested in the home that you’re selling. On your own, you may be able to attract some potential buyers to see the home, but if they are noncommittal or unmotivated and they don’t have their own agents they’re working with, it could end up being a waste of time on your part. Networking and finding qualified potential buyers is key and your Realtor will have an expert plan in place to make it happen for you.

Realtors know how the market works 

Simply put, a good Realtor knows what they’re doing. They research market values of the neighborhoods in their area, they know the buying habits and trends of current home buyers,  plus, they spend a lot of time checking out other listings for their clients. They may even spend their own money marketing your home, when they’re helping you sell. 

Home estimate sites can be useful when you’re trying to get a general idea of what a home is worth. But, they can often be unreliable with their information. A Realtor could see the property in person, research the neighborhood market value and provide you with more accurate information as well as access to trustworthy professional opinions beyond their own e.g. contractors, landscapers, home stagers and more

Plus, real estate has a language of its own – including a lot of legal jargon. When you’re selling a home, there are contracts, inspections, disclosures, and more legally-binding documents to deal with. Realtors know how to talk you through and explain each of these situations as they happen to help avoid expensive mistakes.

They know what buyers are looking for  

Realtors will be able to tell if something about your home will repel ready and able buyers on the market. They know the best selling practices and what kind of home features that will get it sold fast – whether that’s open floor plans, new appliances, home offices, or more.

For example a well-staged and clutter-free home is a must when selling. But, you may not know just how clutter-free it needs to be. Check out the list in How to Stage Your Home and then when you’ve finished setting your home up to view, ask for your Realtor’s opinion. It’s in your best interest to have a Realtor and have open conversations with them about best practices like these since you both have the same goal – selling your home fast and at a great price. 

Going a step further, if you, like many home sellers, are considering doing renovations for the purpose of a higher home sale price, this is also a great time to talk to a Realtor. They’ll know what projects are typically worth renovating for a great return on investment, and which ones are likely to be a waste of time and resources. For a guide on what you might want to work on, see What to Renovate for the Best Return on Investment When Selling Your Home. 

Realtors know how to negotiate for you

Like we mentioned above, a big risk of not working with a Realtor when selling your home is not knowing how to navigate the legal negotiations that come with selling a home.

A good Realtor will know how to negotiate like an expert on your behalf – in the right order to help you get the best price possible that both you and the buyer can both agree on…at a fair market price. They’ll use their knowledge to walk you through contingencies, terms, and buyer’s financing. 

If you go through all of the legal paperwork on your own without a Realtor, you do run the possibility of having to pay later if there was a mistake made and the buyer decided to ask you to pay them any liabilities they feel they are owed. However, Realtors have insurance for this type of mistake that may happen occasionally. Either way, working with a Realtor is the best choice in order to avoid that situation.

Should you work with a Realtor to sell your home? 

If you’re looking to sell your home, it’s always a good idea to have a good Realtor by your side to find the right buyer, sell your home at a higher price and negotiate contracts on your behalf.

While state safety guidelines are still required, check out the Coronavirus Real Estate Guide on how your Realtor and potential home buyers can view your property safely. After that, discuss how the process will work with your Realtor, as guidelines can always change.

Navigating the home selling process can be a daunting task. The idea of selling your home can feel intimidating and uncertain amidst a pandemic. Despite this, you can still have a successful home selling experience when you have a good Realtor in your corner.

If you’re in the Sacramento, California area and you’re wanting to get expert advice on how to sell your home in today’s changing market, contact us at Quantum Real Estate so we can get started.