Ten Reasons Why It Makes Sense to Hire a Real Estate Agent When Selling Your Home

It’s no secret that real estate agents are often the “middle-man” between buyers and sellers of property. So why, then, would anyone want to hire one if they can do the job themselves? The answer is a simple one, and in technical terms it’s called Buyer’s or Seller’s Value Proposition. What does this mean exactly? It’s a list of items that an agent will help you with while you are undergoing what will probably be one of the largest transactions of your life. We’ve already gone over why it’s useful to have this assistance from a buyer’s perspective, but now we’re going to explain why the same benefit holds true for sellers.

Needs Analysis

A thorough assessment of your needs is conducted, leaving you very little guesswork and a solid understanding of exactly what you need, how you can get it and how long it will take to achieve those requirements. Furthermore, the assistance received is also focused on pricing the property – something that sellers are often at a loss of how to handle, given market fluctuations.

Price Strategy

Helping sellers to understand pricing strategies is something of which agents have significant expertise. Knowing how to realistically price your property while keeping in mind your expectations based on your needs analysis is an important part of the services offered by an agent when you are selling your home. Also provided to you a part of the Seller’s Value Proposition is a Net Sheet – a financial workup of exactly what the bottom-line net result will be once you sell your property.

Property Preparation

An often understated and misunderstood part of the selling process, preparing property for sale prior to putting it on the market is a big consideration; one that your agent will help you accomplish through a series of advice sessions and staging strategies.

Marketing Strategy

Developing a marketing action plan is an essential part of the home-selling process. With a step-by-step list of objectives and goals that outlines the process from beginning to end along with a timetable, an agent will help guide you to and through a successful sale.

Receive an Offer

When offers begin to pour in, it’s important to evaluate each one and make sure that negotiation points are identified and strategized. Agents see offers on a daily basis and are familiar with the negotiation opportunities that present themselves, therefore getting you a better price wherever possible.

Negotiating to Sell

Each counter offer that goes back and forth for all parties is negotiated by your agent, plus advice and consultation is given regarding any final terms and conditions needed to finalize the sale.

Sell the Home

The peace of mind sellers get from having the helping hand of their trusted agent looking over their shoulder as they sign on the dotted line is paramount. Not only that, each document is prepared and perused in advance, so that all you have to do is sign. Plus another very important aspect of selling the home is dealing with repairs and vendor services that must be done prior to the sale being finalized. Your agent will advise you on what needs to be done and they will be working with vendors such as home and termite inspectors, your title company and others.

Pre-Close Preparation

Coordinating and supervising all the document preparation right before the closing can be a hefty job for someone selling a home. There are already many things you have to deal with let alone the processing of paperwork. An agent’s role is key in providing all pre-closing consultation, making sure the closing runs smoothly so you can concentrate on other things like your upcoming move.

Closing of title

As the title of your home is drawn up, most home-sellers are anxious to seal the deal and look ahead to their new destination. As a member or your home selling team, your agent will thoroughly study all documents and contracts to make sure everything is up to par and in order. They make sure your sale goes to settlement and ensure that the process is completed through and through.

Post-closing

As you move away from you old home and into your new one, many issues can come up that can be easily resolved with a little help. Your agent sees you through the final stage of one of the most significant events of your life at the time. Offering help with many aspects of the move, they will assist with anything from straightening out any last-minute post-closing concerns that may come up to helping you move your furniture into the new home.

The fact of the matter is that when you trust professionals to assist you in transactions that they are well versed in and have years of experience with – you simply cannot go wrong. While it is definitely an option to conduct the entire process without the assistance of an agent, having the consultation services and expertise of a real estate agent available has a significantly positive impact on the sale and ultimately you.