You might be thinking about saving some money by selling your home without a real estate agent. After all, real estate agents take a commission, which is a percentage of the home’s sale price, so why not avoid that fee and keep the whole pot of money for yourself?
Well, we’re here to tell you that selling your home without an agent is a risky proposition and one that we wouldn’t recommend. Here’s why:
- It’s harder than you think. You might think that all you need to do is put up a For Sale sign and stick an ad on Craigslist, but there’s a lot more to it than that. A good real estate agent will do much more than just advertising; they’ll also screen potential buyers, negotiate with them on your behalf, handle all of the paperwork involved in the sale, and more.
- You’ll likely sell for less. Because you don’t have the same experience or expertise as a real estate agent, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll be able to get top dollar for your home. In fact, most people who try to sell their homes without an agent end up selling for significantly less than they would have if they had used one.
- It’s time-consuming. Selling a home takes a lot of time and effort, from advertising to showing the property to potential buyers to dealing with offers (and counteroffers) to handling all of the necessary paperwork. If you’re already working full-time, chances are you won’t have the time needed to give your home the attention it deserves.
- It’s emotionally difficult. Selling a home is an emotional process, even under the best of circumstances. When you add in the stress of trying to sell on your own, it can be downright overwhelming. A good real estate agent will help take some of that stress off of your shoulders and guide you through the process step by step.
- You might not even save any money in the end. When you factor in how much time and energy you’ll expend selling your home on your own, as well as how much less you’re likely to get for it, there’s a good chance you won’t save any money at all by going it alone—and you might even end up losing money in the end!
Selling your home without a real estate agent is riskier than most people realize. Not only is it harder than it looks, but you’re also likely to sell for less than you would with an agent—and you might not even save any money in the process! If you’re thinking about selling your home without an agent, we urge you to reconsider; it’s simply not worth the trouble!