By Andrew Trim
Author of Real Estate Dangers
Selling your home is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll make, so it’s important to do it correctly. While it can be tempting to sell your house without an agent, saving yourself the fees, it’s important to recognise the advantages you have if you choose a good agent instead.
Time
Selling a home can be a lengthy process. It can take many arduous hours to sell a home – free time an average person doesn’t have. Can you afford to take time off work to show prospective buyers through your home? Can you answer your phone whenever it rings to answer questions? If not, good buyers will be lost.
Stress
Selling your home comes with its own set of protocols and guidelines which as a seller you are required by law to follow. This quickly becomes a complicated process, particularly if you’ve never sold a house before. While you can use a solicitor’s services to assist with contracts and paperwork, other complications may occur during the sales process that will result in a headache. If you’re not confident about selling your home, it’s worth saving the stress and seeking assistance from a professional salesperson.
You may not price your home correctly
If you’ve resided in your home for a period of time, it’s likely you would have formed an emotional attachment to your home. While completely natural, it can cloud your judgement in regards to what your home is worth. This can lead to your home being overpriced and consequently receiving no enquiries and resulting in a longer time on market and a damaging digital footprint.
You don’t have the knowledge, skills or contacts that a good salesperson has
As with any profession, real estate comes with its own set of knowledge and skills. A good salesperson knows how to effectively market your property to achieve the highest price as well as have in-depth knowledge of the local market and the industry itself. A good salesperson is highly skilled in negotiation and will guide you along the path to achieve the best market price for your property. Many good salespeople have a network of contacts, such as enquiry logs, email marketing lists and contact databases.
You may sell your home for less
While you may save money on fees, selling without an agent can result in an overall lower profit in your pocket. Some prospective buyers will intentionally offer you a lower price as they know the seller doesn’t have an agent to negotiate on their behalf. They may also offer you a lower price as they know you aren’t paying any commission – the buyer may want to participate in the savings.
Are you interested in reading Real Estate Dangers by Andrew Trim? Contact us to receive your free copy. Email: mail@goulburnre.com.au or call 02 4822 8711