Apartment Living: Finding the Right Place to Call Home

If you are thinking about selling your home, you have a very important decision to make. Do you want to use a Realtor or sell your home yourself? It's tempting for people to just do it themselves and save money on commission costs, however, using a Realtor has many benefits. Here are the reasons why you should always choose a Realtor over a for sale by owner (FBSO).

Pricing

Pricing is difficult for home owners. Homes have a lot of sentimental value. You may have gotten married and/or raised your kids in your home. The fond memories make your home much more valuable to you. However, potential buyers don't care about your sentiment and they definitely aren't willing to pay for it. Realty services will make sure your home is priced competitively. Realtors have access to various market data about recent and current sales in your area.

Your home is only worth what people will pay for it. This beans buyers determine the price of your home, not you. If similar homes in your area are priced significantly lower than yours, there is a good chance that most people won't even bother to look at your home. A Realtor will know exactly how to price your home so you don't have to deal with having your home on the market for months while continuously lowering the price if you aim too high.

Showing

Showing your home is the most important part of the selling process. If people don't fall in love with your home and picture themselves living in it, they aren't likely going to make an offer. Your Realtor will know exactly how to set up your home to show it. Realtors know what turns people off when looking at a home. He or she can help you stage your home for potential buyers.

Another issue with FBSO is that you have to be present in order to show your home. When you have a Realtor, he or she can handle the showings without you. Buyers are generally more comfortable looking at homes without the owners present. When owners are around, the potential buyers feel more like a guest and have a difficult time picturing themselves living in the home. Another issue is feedback. Without the owner hanging around, the potential buyers are more comfortable giving feedback about the home. Feedback is extremely important for making changes to the home or pricing.

Realtors can also screen the people who come for showings. This has two important benefits. One benefit is safety. The screening process will keep criminals out of your home. The other benefit is keeping unrealistic buyers out of your home. You don't want to waste your time showing your home to people who aren't even planning on making an offer. Selling a home yourself doesn't give you the resources to screen potential buyers.

Saving Time

If you're selling your home, you're probably buying a new one. After working and looking for a home to buy, it is not likely that you have much free time on your hands. Selling a home by yourself requires you to fix up your home (if needed), advertise your home, attend showings, respond to inquiries, negotiate contracts, and other things that Realtors do for you. It is a lot of work and it's unlikely you will be able to do it all effectively. It makes more sense to let your Realtor take the reigns and let your home sell properly. All you will need to do is agree or disagree with offers, and then sign the paperwork.

Selling your home by yourself to save money on commission is not worth the extra time and effort you will have to put into it. Your Realtor's commission is worth everything that he or she is going to do for you. Sit back and let someone else sell your home.