Once you have made the decision to sell your home, I would think that your goal would be to sell your house for the most amount of money, with the least amount of hassle and in the shortest period of time. The best way to accomplish that is to price it appropriately and expose it to a large number of buyers. Your odds for meeting this goal are going to be greatly increased by hiring a real estate professional. Consider the following facts:
The commission you are trying to save by not hiring an agent is the same commission that the buyer is trying to save. The buyer will feel like he can make a low offer on your house because you don't have to pay commissions.
Typically a "For Sale By Owner" (FSBO) will be overpriced, but there are also times when they are under priced. Either way, it's not a good situation. You want to receive the most that you can but if the house is overpriced to begin with, you will scare off legitimate buyers and you won't sell it in a timely manner. If it's under priced you could lose thousands of dollars. A real estate agent will know the local market and help you price it appropriately.
You only have one house to sell. Most buyers do comparison-shopping so most buyers want to go to a real estate agency that can show them lots of listings, not just one.
Do you feel comfortable opening up your home to complete strangers? Are you in a position where you can drop what you're doing, possibly leaving your job, to show your home to people at all hours of the day?
Can you write a contract that will protect you and still be legally binding?
Can you help your buyer arrange for financing as well as being available for all inspections and taking care of the title work?
Will you know how to handle a buyer who has his or her own house to sell?
The average person who looks at your home will not be up front with you about how they really feel about your house. So you may think you have someone who is really interested when really they don't like it at all. Buyers don't feel uncomfortable telling an agent their opinion of your house.
How much money are you willing and able to spend on advertising? An agent can get your home exposed to more people through newspapers, the Internet and also the MLS.
If you do get an offer, who will hold the earnest money? The buyer may not feel comfortable giving it to you.
Sometimes buyers and sellers personalities clash. With a third party involved (a real estate agent), you need not lose a legitimate buyer for this reason.
Your house is your home. Can you objectively look at it, as a buyer would, and know which repairs, clean up, etc. are the ones that a buyer is going to care most about?
Will you be comfortable "pre-qualifying" a potential buyer so when you take the time to show your home to him, you know that he is at least financially capable of purchasing?
Will you sell it in a timely manner before buyers start to question why it hasn't sold?
Do you know that most buyers would prefer to work with a real estate agent, not an individual seller? And that 9 out of 10 homes sell through a real estate company?
These are just a few of the many reasons that using a real estate agent will be beneficial to you. Wouldn't it make sense to meet with me and discuss how I may be able to help you? Please contact me at your earliest convenience and have your home sold tomorrow.
