Do You need a Real Estate agent to sell your home?  No, how’s that for a plain and simple, honest answer.  You really don’t.  Go it alone, advertise it, show it, get an offer and go to closing.  Can it really be that simple?  Yes! is the plain and simple truth.

Although selling real estate is not a mystery the transaction can be rifled with issues that make the transaction messy, first let’s look at how easy it can be.

1. Get your home looking good inside and out.

2. Place an ad on Craigs List, For Sale By Owner.com, Use the newspaper, create a web page and post the listing anywhere you can.

3. Make yourself available to show the property.

4. If there is an interested prospect leave it up to them to find an attorney to write an offer.

5. Have an attorney review the contract, make a decision and move forward.

Go to settlement and collect your money, you don’t need us, you really don’t.  I would bet, that over 50% of the time this type of transaction could work out just fine.  The key is, both parties have to be reasonable people with the same goal in mind.  They want your house, you want to sell your house, everyone is happy.  But I’m sure you have a short list of people in your life that you consider “reasonable” right?

If selling your own home is so simple, why do over 90% of the people who want to sell their home contact a real estate agent?

That’s a loaded question and the answers are as varied as there are numbers of sellers who want to sell.  For many, it’s the financial aspect of  paying a percentage of the sale to a real estate company. Can’t blame you, who wants to end up with less than they could?  Then there are those that just plain don’t like the concept of a real estate sales person.  This may be due to a bad experience in the past, a bad experience a neighbor or friend had and shared with you or the belief that you just don’t need anyone else in the mix. Some just don’t want to be bothered, they don’t have time, don’t want to deal with showings of their home.  Some see it as overwhelming and a puzzling process, it’s actually simple, it’s the people involved that make it complex.  Whatever the reason others choose an agent, ask yourself, do I want an agent to represent me or not.  If your not sure talk with a few agents and find out from them what they can do for you that you cannot do for yourself.  Weigh the pros and cons on a sheet of paper and put a price on what’s it’s worth to you to have the assistance of an agent.

Can you have a “bad transation” with or without an agent involved?  Yes!

A bad transaction does not mean you had a “bad” agent. The fact is that most of the issues that come up during a real estate transaction are attitudes toward problems, not the problems. Lets start with the obvious first. You aren’t getting any showings on your home. Wow! that’s a real one these days, whose fault is that?  The market? The number of available buyers? The agent didn’t advertise your home properly? Maybe a combination and maybe none of the above.  Sometimes it’s expectations. Your expectations as a seller should be clearly identified and understood before you begin the journey.  Are they realistic?  If not, you are set for a disappointing process from the word go. There is a lot of anger in the marketplace, some justified, some ill directed but it’s there. The reality is, your home is worth less today than it was in 2006. In some cases, a lot less. That’s a tough pill to swallow. If you sell your home yourself or use an agent does it change this unpleasant fact?  No, I’m afraid it does not.

Let’s talk finances. You can save big bucks if you sell it yourself. That’s a loaded one as well. There are statistics out that indicate you will actually save money if you use a real estate agent. Now, statistics are everywhere, some wrong, some right and some down right fraudulent.  Some statistics say if you sell it yourself, buyers will assume that you will take less because you are not paying a real estate company. Bah Humbug!  They will try, but remember, your in the drives seat, just say no. You want the house, here is the price, take it or leave it.  I’m serious, by the time a buyer makes an offer, they have taken emotional ownership of your home.  Of course they are going to try and buy it for less than you want, that’s the age old game. You are told that we, the agents are great negotiators, guess what, we can’t negotiate for you, by law, we can convey your wishes to the buyer’s agent and they must convey those wishes to the buyer.  We don’t decide or make decisions on your behalf, we are the conduit not the source.  You control the outcome as the seller.  Remember what I said about expectations?  That’s where this comes into play.  Don’t posture, sell your home, that’s the object, keep emotions out of it.  Sometimes this is where an agent can really come in handy.

This is what I know for sure. I have settled over 150 homes in three years where I did represent the seller in the transaction.  Sometimes things go so smothly I feel I haven’t earned the fee that a seller is charged. Then there are many, many times when I feel as though I couldn’t have gotten paid enough.  Each of those 150 transactions have taught me valuable lessons about the process.  Experience is the value an agent brings to your transaction.  Plain and simple. It’s our experience with what works and doesn’t work regarding advertising. We have seen the pitfalls and can effectively communicate those to you so we can avoid them.  Some transactions can get so messy that we end up in a court room and you want experience there as well.

Whatever method you decide, alone or not alone it makes perfect  to consult with an agent first. Find out what they have to offer, how they are going to perform based on past history and most of all, are they a person you can work with for five or six months.

I am knowledgeable, I have seen a lot. If you want to have a discussion about selling your home, I am just a phone call away.