Of course.  Absolutely.  Fo Sho....But Why would you want to?  According to the National Association of Realtors, 82% of real estate sales are the result of agent involvement.  While doing the work yourself may save you the commission rates many real estate agents command, doing it alone could end up being more costly that a Realtor's commission in the long run.

This blog came about because a friend of a friend of a friend wanted to sell her own home.  So, I wanted to remind potential sellers why Realtors bring significant value to the selling of a home...which is usually one of the largest financial and emotional transactions.  Here are some of the TOP reasons of why you should hire a real estate agent and NOT sell your house by yourself:

  • Your real estate agent can give you the most up-to-date information about the current market, specifically in your neighborhood/community/subdivision.  This information is a big factor is pricing your home, determining financing options for potential buyers as well as learning about the homes that you are directly competing with in your area.  
  • This is what we do...We SELL homes!  We help Buyers BUY homes!  We see what's happening in the community and can usually recommend repairs and cosmetic options which will significantly enhance the marketability of your property to help you procure a buyer quickly.
  • When you hire a REALTOR®, you will have your home listed on the Multiple Listing Service, which is a system that holds data about current property availability and is shared by thousands of Realtors, giving your home more visibility.  Studies have shown that over 90% of buyers start their search online.  An agent can put together a robust internet marketing strategy to promote your home utilizing the tools available only to Realtors.
  • If you sell your own home, you will have to solicit calls from interested parties, answer questions and make your appointments.  When you hire a REALTOR®, they do all that for you.  In fact, they generally pre-screen and accompany QUALIFIED buyers through your property.  And even when prospects aren't accompanied by your agent, they are accompanied by an agent who is bound to the REALTOR® Code of Ethics.
  • As previously stated, selling your home can be a very emotional transaction.  When you hire an agent, they can objectively evaluate offers and help you swim through the potential hazards of disclosures, appraisals, inspections, repairs, financing, federal government regulations, etc. When selling a home, you will have to deal with the buyer (who wants the best deal possible), the buyer's agent (who only cares about the best interest of the buyer), the inspection companies (who work for the buyer), the appraiser (who works for the buyer's lender and evaluates the value of the home) and the bank (if there's a short sale involved).  An agent can help juggle all these people while protecting YOUR best interest.  An agent can also play the bad guy/girl in a transaction, which can prevent animosity between the buyer and seller. 
  • The paperwork for selling a home has increased over the last few years as disclosures have become mandatory and quite necessary to CYA.  Let your real estate agent manage these disclosures and advise you of the requirements for each one.
  • While sellers believe that they can save on real estate commissions by selling on their own, Buyers ALSO believe they can save money buying a FSBO (For Sale by Owner) because they TOO will save the real estate commission by reducing the price of the property accordingly.

The BOTTOM LINE is that you should sincerely consider sitting down with a real estate agent in your area BEFORE you decide to take on the challenges of selling your own home.  You could save more money in the long run by hiring a professional.