Many homeowners looking to sell wish they didn’t have to pay real estate commissions while at the same time avoiding hassles with paperwork and profiting the most off the sale of their home. Maybe in a perfect world this would be possible, however many homeowners have a bigger priority over making money and that’s simply getting their property sold. In order to do this, many homeowners know that working with an experienced real estate agent is a must; after working with a real estate agent and selling their home most homeowners realize that it is money well spent in order to avoid the headaches of all the paperwork and pricing the home accurately so it doesn’t just sit on the market.
Some homeowners still feel that working without a real estate agent to sell their home is possible thanks to the internet. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently reported that over 90% of all potential buyers go online at some point during their home search, thus changing the way that buyers shop for a home. However, while a buyer may begin looking online before contacting a real estate agent, which is good news for those that want to complete a For Sale by Owner (FSBO), at some point in their home buying process almost 100% of all potential buyers work with a realtor to either help them find the home they want, get assistance with paperwork or get help and clarification of the real estate purchasing process. According to the same report released by NAR, a little over 95% of all buyers buy their home from either a realtor or builder. The number of buyers that actually purchase a For Sale by Owner home? Only about 2%.
Although you may have an increased use of the internet on your side if you try to sell your home on your own, keep in mind that there are a number of other factors in play against you. You don’t have access to the MLS like realtors do along with other marketing strategies they utilize to get your home sold. As previously mentioned, many buyers, especially first time home buyers, at some point are going to use a realtor to help them navigate the process. If you’re not using a real estate agent to sell your home, then where does this leave you?