Why Not To Sell Your Portland Home On Your Own
Why real estate agents are so important
Selling a home on your own is not a recommended practice for many very good reasons. If you have decided to sell your home yourself without a real estate agent it is important that you understand what you are giving up.
In most cases, having a real estate agent will not only protect your interests but also get you the most money for your home.
Here is what you need to know before you sell your home on your own:
You have you pay up front with no guarantees
You could choose a do-it-yourself marketing company to help you sell your home. With these, you will be expected to pay a fee up front which is usually anywhere from $1000-$2000. This covers the cost of pictures and videos as well as having your home listed on the MLS system.
The problem with that is even if your home doesn’t sell you are out of pocket those expenses. This is not the case with a Portland real estate agent. They will do all those things for you and more and you don’t have to pay for it unless and until the home sells. If the home doesn’t sell it is the agent that is out of pocket, not you.
Realtors may not want to show your home
There are some Portland realtors that do not want to deal with people selling on their own. They want to know there is a professional on the other side of the deal that knows how to do things right. Even if they did show it, there is a chance that they would not recommend their client buy your home. They could cite difficulties they’ve had in other For Sale By Owner deals.
Kiss a bidding war goodbye
People who sell their homes on their own are less likely to have the good fortune to see a bidding war take place. If you had a Portland real estate agent however, there is a much higher chance of this happening.
This is because agents know how to price your home the right way, the first time. They also have the important contacts to get the right people in to see the home. If you did that on your own or even though a marketing company, you don’t have the same access to contacts that the agent would.
Negotiation can be tough, especially without experience
When you are selling your home by yourself it can be hard to know what a fair price for the property. You should consider getting an appraiser in to see what they think. This will give you a good, solid idea of what you should be asking and insisting upon.
Another thing to consider is the fact that once a buyer finds out you are saving big bucks on commission they are going to ask to split the savings with you.
Still, the biggest problem is that the buyers are almost assuredly going to be represented by a real estate agent. An agent who, for obvious reasons, knows far more than you. Talented and experienced agents will try to work you for all the info they can while giving you little info about their buyer.
As you can see there are many reasons why you should choose a Portland real estate agent when selling your home. There are a lot of moving parts to the sale and you will be facing buyer agents with the experience that you simply do not have.