Should I use a Real Estate Agent?

    With the potential rewards that can be gained--saving $4000, $8,000, $12,000 or more (minus your expenses) by not having to pay a Brokerage commission, many people wonder why less than 20% of home sellers undertake the task of selling their houses on their own. Possibly it has something to do with expertise. Many home owners who consider a self sale of their house back off when they see the level of knowledge and commitment that is needed to do an effective job. As with any choice, there are advantages and disadvantages. Let's look at some of the disadvantages of selling your home on your own.
  1. You must rely on your own instincts
  2. All marketing and advertising costs are paid by you
  3. Your home will not be on the Multiple Listing Service unless you pay to have it there
  4. You don't have access to what homes have sold for and may over or under price your home
  5. If you are not skilled in negotiation, you may leave money on the table
  6. All of the paperwork, legal forms, etc. are your responsibility and must be handled by you
  7. If any mistakes are made, they are your own
  8. If you want to give maximum benefit to your efforts, your free time will be somewhat or severely limited
  9. Many buyers believe that if you are selling on your own and not paying a commission, it is they (the buyers) who should get the saving--not you
  10. As you approach negotiations, you must sever emotional ties with your house or you will place yourself at a disadvantage
  11. You must become knowledgeable of legal and financial issues to be most effective
  12. If anything goes wrong, you may be involved in a lawsuit

Now let's consider the advantages:
  1. You are always available at the home for showings, answering inquiries, etc. Although, this may also be a disadvantage.
  2. If your equity is low, you may be able to sell your house without having to write a check
  3. You are in total control of the transaction.
  4. There is no Brokerage Fee (commission) to be paid. You receive all of the proceeds (less marketing costs). This is, of course, the biggest benefit of selling your own house.


Deciding whether to use an Agent or not has a great deal to do with what you feel the level of your capabilities are. If you feel fully confident that you can handle all of the details, then you may well want to attempt selling your house on your own. If not, you most likely will want to use an Agent and leave the details to them.

The majority of home sellers take on the task with an ally: a Real Estate Agent. They feel that it is better to entrust the sale of their biggest investment to a professional, rather than attempting to learn about selling a house in a trial and error method. In addition, many people would rather use an Agent due to the complexities of modern Real Estate transactions since they usually incorporate legal and financial attributes, which takes them well beyond more simple transactions, such as the sale of an automobile.

Remember, some of the advantages of working with Agents include: access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) so that large numbers of buyers will have access to the seller's property, the fact that the Agent absorbs all of the cost of advertising and marketing, and the screening that will be done of potential buyers by Agents. In addition, the Agent handles the lion's share of the details of negotiation and will be the one liable for anything that may go wrong.




This information can be found in it's original format at www.realestateabc.com