1st time seller, hire agent or owner sell?

Question

Hello all,

I’m looking to sell my starter home, my short question would be… should I hire an agent or try to find a buyer for myself?

Russell Brazil · Answer

Hire an agent.

But don't just hire any agent....hire a good agent.

Theresa Harris · Answer

Hire an agent. Get 2-3 in to provide you a market assessment of your home. Ask them how they plan to get your home sold for top dollar quickly, what their experience is, etc. Don't pick the one that tells you the highest price, pick the one that will do the best job.

Lynn McGeein · Answer

Conduct 3 interviews with local agents who provide a free market analysis of your home. Have them clearly state their exact fees, including extra transaction or admin fees, how they market, are they assisting you, personally, or just handing you off to less experienced agents on their team after you sign (I've seen this happen a lot), and ask their advice on if your home is ready for sale or if they'd suggest improvements. Let them know you're interviewing 3, and will make a final decision afterwards. You'll have a good idea of your home's value after 3 reports. Then you can decide if it's worth it to hire an agent or try to sell on your own. There's a lot more involved then just listing on the MLS, and if you're not comfortable handling the complete process, yourself, you can wind up in hot water and costing you more than if you used an agent.

Alecia Loveless · Answer

@Timothy Albright This is why it’s so important to have a TEAM. Your Core Four. So you already have a GREAT AGENT lined up and waiting to maximize your potential whether you’re buying or selling. Then you never need to even ask this question.

My realtor has gotten me $100,000 off a $300,000 property and advised me against selling to people who were nickel and diming me so hard it was ridiculous on a large expensive property and not a month later it was sold to another couple who was a pleasure to work with for over $75,000 more.

A great agent puts money in your pocket!

Bill B. · Answer

So you’re going to randomly pick a price to sell for.

Result 1. It goes under contract immediately. How much under market did you price it? 5% 10% 20%

Result 2: it sits on the market for a couple months and you choose to lower the price or not as a stale property. How much did you cost yourself?

In both results you probably end up paying the buyer’s broker 2-3% as the buyer probably signed a buyers agreement where they will owe the commissions if you don’t pair it.

So you’re taking a lot of risks for a small chance at saving 1-2%.

Ps. You don’t think the buyer is going to ask for that 2-4% off the price for not using a realtor? (So you end paying for a realtor’s service you didn’t get.)

1st time seller, hire agent or owner sell?

1st time seller, hire agent or owner sell?

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