Triangle Property Lines: Should I Use A Realtor When Selling My Home?

Should I use a Realtor when selling my home?

Are you thinking of selling your house in 2015? Obviously you want the best possible price with the least amount of hassles. However, for the vast majority of sellers, the most important result is to actually get the home sold.

In order to accomplish all three goals, a seller should realize the importance of using a real estate professional. We realize that technology has changed the purchaser’s behavior during the home buying process. For the past two years, 92% of all buyers have used the internet in their home search according to the National Association of Realtors’ 2014 Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers.

However, the report also revealed that for the second year in a row 96% percent of buyers that used the internet when searching for a home purchased their home through either a real estate agent/broker or from a builder or builder’s agent. Only 2% purchased their home directly from a seller whom the buyer didn’t know.

Buyers search for a home online but then depend on an agent to find the actual home they will buy (53%) or negotiate the terms of the sale & price (31%) or understand the process (63%).

Stephen Phillips, the Chief Operating Officer for HSF Affiliates LLC, put it best:

“Home buyers are more informed than ever with their Internet searches and ongoing research; however, there’s a critical need to transform that information into analysis and advice that helps consumers make the best home-buying and selling decisions.”

The vast amount of information now available has resulted in an increase in the percentage of buyers that reach out to real estate professionals to “connect the dots”. This is obvious as the percentage of overall buyers who used an agent to buy their home has steadily increased from 69% in 2001.

Bottom Line

If you are thinking of selling your home, don’t underestimate the role a real estate professional will play in the process. After all, this is the single biggest investment you will make, and a legal contract. FSBOs accounted for 9% of home sales in 2013. The typical FSBO home sold for $184,000 compared to $230,000 for agent-assisted home sales. http://www.realtor.org/field-guides/field-guide-to-quick-real-estate-statistics

Realtors really earn their keep during the offer negotiation and closing process. The paperwork is complex and and the negotiations can be complicated. The advice of an experienced realtor can ultimately save you time and a lot of hassle. That is worth the money.

Get in touch and I’ll review my exclusive marketing program and ways you can save money on the sale of your home.

Elizabeth Scott, Realtor®, Broker