It’s no secret that the market is hot and homes continue to sell both at record paces and for unprecedented amounts.  Due to these facts, along with the knowledge of increasingly low inventory, many homeowners are taking the plunge and choosing to get their homes ready for a listing.  So, now what?  While making the decision to put your home on the market might be the biggest decision you make throughout your home selling journey, whether or not you choose to use a realtor is, by far, the most important.  While many homeowners think about the benefits of not having to pay a realtor when selling their home, it’s crucial that they know exactly what goes into listing and just how vital having a trusted realtor is for the overall sale and closing. 

Here are some of the top reasons why you should always choose to work with a realtor, instead of FSBO (For Sale by Owner), when selling your home:

1.      FSBO is incredibly time-consuming, regardless of how experienced you are. 

o   Whether this is the first time you’re listing a home for sale or the 4^th, it can’t be stressed enough how much time goes into the listing, showing, negotiating, selling, and closing a house.  There’s a reason why this is a realtor’s full-time job! 

o   Just getting your home ready for listing ends to consume all of your time.  Between fixing or remodeling anything that needs work, cleaning, staging, taking listing pictures, and figuring out where and how to list your home.  With the help of a realtor, you won’t have to do all of this yourself.  Not only will they take the reins on all of the listings (only they have access to MLS listings, those who choose FSBO don’t have this luxury), but will also be of great help with staging, photographing, and giving any and all advice on what should be fixed or updated before the listing goes live. 

o   They will also take care of the time commitment that comes along with figuring out how much to list the house for.  Again, with all of the research that goes into this task, it can be incredibly time-consuming.  Not only will a realtor take on the time commitment for you, but they also have all of the tools and skillset to properly price your home.  Between figuring out the value based on neighborhood, schools, local amenities, and comparable home values, you can trust that this will be done in a good amount of time and done right. 

o   Once the house is priced correctly, staged, and listed, the daunting task of showings is next.  This is especially time-consuming during the current pandemic since you can’t have large open houses, but instead, you have to show your home to one party at a time.  A trusted realtor will navigate this task for you, as well as entertaining all of those who are just looking and not actually committed to purchasing a home at this time. 

2.      Your realtor will take care of all of the daunting negotiations, communicate with the seller’s agents and be able to tell who is, and isn’t, qualified to purchase your home. 

o   One of the main reasons why having a realtor represent you when selling your home is because, otherwise, you’ll be dealing with people who typically have the buyer’s best interest in mind.  This really comes into play when the offers start to come in, resulting in the possibility of endless negotiations, especially in such a hot market.  Between the potential buyers, their seller’s agents, the inspectors, the lenders, and the appraisers, your realtor will handle communication with everyone with both professionalism and knowledge, while representing your best interests.  They are thoroughly trained for these negotiations and will know the right questions to ask and when not to back down!

o   Simply put, a seller choosing the route of FSBO will not have access to nearly as much information about potential buyers as a realtor will.  There is no way for anyone, other than a realtor, to officially know whether a potential buyer has been pre-approved prior to making an offer, which could be crucial in the close of your home.  if they aren’t already pre-approved, they don’t actually know if they have access to the amount their offering.  The importance of knowing that a buyer is pre-approved to make an offer can’t be stressed enough for the sale and closing of your home!

3.      Legally, it’s challenging for anyone other then a professional.

o   Did you know that there is a great deal of legalities that go into selling your home?     This is one reason why the percentage of those choosing to list a home FSBO has dramatically decreased for the last couple of years.  As the seller, the legal process can often seem like a foreign language due to all of the regulations and mandatory disclosures.  It’s essential to have a realtor on your side to navigate you through legal matters with confidence.  There is more fine print in a mortgage contract than people often realize and it’s important to remember that the seller is largely the party liable!                                           

4.      You run the risk of your home being on the market for a longer period of time. 

o   With a realtor working for you comes access to more potential buyers, ultimately resulting in your home being on the market for as little time as possible.  Your home will be listed on all of the proper online channels and shared with numerous listing agents and all of their clients.  Overall, the game of numbers simply isn’t on your side if you choose to list FSBO.  If you choose to be represented by a realtor, your home will reach a countless number of potential buyers, comparatively. 

 

While we all hope to get back to normal by later this year, we are still living in unprecedented times.  Having a trusted and experienced realtor, like Sonya Reiselt, at your side, will ensure everything goes smoothly when selling your home.  From COVID safety protocols to getting the absolute top offer, you can rest assured that there is no one better suited to represent you as a seller, than Sonya!  For the past decade, she has been dedicated to finding families their own little piece of paradise throughout the Lowcountry.  You can rest easy knowing that, with Sonya, you’ll get what you rightfully deserve when selling your home and you’ll find the house of your dreams for your family’s future. 

 

Stay up to date on all of the latest real estate and Beaufort trends on our website and by liking us on Facebook!