Why hire a real estate agent when selling your house?
Why hire a real estate agent when selling your house? The same reason you hire a hairstylist or mechanic: RESULTS vs. VALUE.
If you have ever cut your own hair, or paint your own vehicle, the results might have been a sight for sore eyes. Now imagine the same metaphoric results on one of the biggest investments of your life – your house! The scale of potential damage is unimaginable. Did you know that you can end up in court with the purchaser of your home for up to ten years? Real estate agents absorb such liability, guided by a high standard of provincial licensing requirements, related fiduciary duties, federally enforced bylaws, and annual educational updates. Studies reflect that houses sold using a real estate agent often sell for a higher amount and in a shorter period of time, than the houses of home owners who do not hire a real estate agent.
The value a skilled real estate agent provides will save you both time and stress. When you hire a real estate agent, you can have peace of mind before putting your house on the market, while the house is listed, and after the house is sold. There is much preparation done to properly list a house, like pricing it high enough to maximize your revenue but low enough to attract motivated buyers, and if you are lucky – multiple offers. The house must first be studied for correct measurements, lot size, zoning, property title, types of interior finishes, exterior characteristics, and other historical statistics of the house in order to calculate the current market value. The house must be staged both inside and out for proper curb appeal and interior staging that appeals to the average home buyer. The house must also be photographed to magnify all saleable features. Assuming all of the above goes well, you can officially put your house on the market, which opens another can of worms filled with organizing showings, full disclosures, and reviewing offers. Perhaps further details can be discussed in a later blog if requested by fabulous readers like yourself. The point is that countless tasks and responsibilities go into the successful sale of a home and the peace of mind that comes with a professional is worth the price.
Regarding monetary value, the commissions paid out for the sale of your house is a small fraction in comparison to the amount of value your house may have increased in the local market. The money is not out of pocket, it comes from the proceeds of the sale of your house. The commission does not all go to your listing agent either. It is shared among the listing agent, buyer’s agent, the agent’s broker (in this case, RE/MAX), and the Canadian Revenue Agency.
Enclosing, if it has ever crossed your mind to sell your own house, consider the reasoning and possible repercussions shared in the above. If you are still unsure, call me and I will talk you off the ledge!
Cheers,
Tanya
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