Do you really need a Realtor to help you sell your home?
The short answer, of course, is no.
Certainly one can buy a “for sale by owner” sign and hope for the best. And, nowadays a good “Dummies” book from the library will have all the necessary paperwork you need in the State of California. And, if you’re really clever, it should only take you a few days to figure these out.
However, a real estate agent can help you understand everything you need to know about the home selling process. And a good one can translate it into language that actually sounds like plain English.
Real estate transactions are one of the biggest financial dealings of most people’s lifetime. Today, most home sales in Davis, CA usually exceed $450,000.
If you had a $450,000 income tax problem, would you attempt to deal with it without the help of a certified professional accountant? If you had a $450,000 legal question, would you deal with it without the help of an attorney? Considering the small upside cost and the large downside risk, it would be wise to work with a professional when you are selling a home.
If you’re still not convinced of the value of a real estate agent, here are more reasons to use one:
Think About It
- When selling your home, your REALTOR can give you up-to-date information on what is happening in the marketplace as well as the price, financing, terms and condition of competing properties. These are key factors in getting your property sold at the best price, quickly and with minimum hassle.
- A good Realtor is also an objective observer. She can recommend repairs or cosmetic work that will significantly enhance the saleability of your property.
- Your realtor markets your property to other real estate agents and the public. In many markets across the country, over half of real estate sales are cooperative sales; that is, a real estate agent other than yours brings in the buyer.
Your agent acts as the marketing coordinator, distributing information about your property to other real estate agents through a Multiple Listing Service (MLS) or other cooperative marketing networks, open houses for agents, etc. While you, most likely have another full time job.
- Your realtor will know when, where and how to advertise your property. There is a misconception that advertising sells real estate. NAR studies show that 82% of real estate sales are the result of agent contacts through previous clients, referrals, friends, family and personal contacts. This is especially true of Coldwell Banker agents in Davis.
- It’s one thing to get into escrow… it’s altogether another matter to get that escrow closed. During the course of escrow issues may arise. For example, unexpected repairs might be required to obtain financing or a title problem is discovered. The required paperwork alone is overwhelming for most sellers. But a good real estate agent is the best person to objectively help you resolve these issues and move the transaction to closing.
If you, or someone you know is considering selling a property on their own, call me, Carmen Isais, first. I can offer an objective opinion as to what that properties pitfalls might be. At the very least you are left you are left with a little extra knowledge. And information is never a bad thing. Hope to hear from you! 530.601.1003.
