It’s tempting to go the for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) route rather than hire an agent because you’ll save the 6-percentage-point agent commission and end up with more money in your pocket. But are you really going to do it? The truth is that you can lose money on the transaction. Aside from that, there are a slew of additional compelling reasons to hire a professional. So, let’s look at the top 5 reasons to use an agency over a for-sale-by-owner in Houston.
1. Increased Chances ofShowings
To put it frankly, if you don’t engage an agent, your home may not get much, if any, exposure. If she won’t be interacting with a real estate expert, a buyer’s agent may be hesitant to schedule a showing.
“In a for-sale-by-owner transaction, the buyer’s agent is aware that there will be no professional colleague on the opposite side of the transaction. Even if a customer is adamant about seeing your house, the agent may advise against making an offer, stressing the difficulties and risks of closing a sale without the help of a professional representing the seller – and without a guaranteed commission.”
The fact is many buyer’s agents view FSBO sellers as unreasonable and difficult and so try to avoid dealing with them.
2. Broad Networks
Another reason to hire an agent over an FSBO in Houston is your agent’s broad professional network.
Of course, you may advertise your home on sites like Zillow and Craigslist without paying an agent, but you won’t have the same marketing reach. “You don’t have any relationships with clients, other agents, or a real estate firm to help you find the best purchasers for your house. A smaller pool of possible buyers equals less demand for your home, which means you’ll have to wait longer to sell it and could not get as much money as it’s worth.”
A good Houston agent, on the other hand, will have a big list of names and contact information to pull from in order to spread the news about your newly listed home rapidly. Simply call (713) 866-4000 to learn more about the increased marketing reach you’ll have when you engage an agent.
3. Buyer Vetting
Another good reason to engage an agency over a for-sale-by-owner in Houston is to screen out non-serious and unqualified buyers. Do you have the necessary expertise, experience, and time to adequately vet buyers? You’ll lose a lot of time on tyre kickers if you don’t.
“An agent can determine whether a visitor to your home is a qualified buyer or simply a daydreamer or curious neighbour. Every time you have to put your life on wait, make your house seem flawless, and show your home, it’s a lot of effort and a significant disruption. You want to keep the showings that are most likely to result in a sale to a minimum.”
A smart agent will know how to ask the correct questions to “assess the earnestness, qualification, and motivation of a prospect” based on both training and experience. “Move a qualified and motivated person to the point of purchase,” your agent can then say.
4. Negotiation Skill
This is where hiring an agent versus an FSBO in Houston pays off – literally. Your agent’s negotiation skills and experience will almost always get you a better deal, both in terms of price and concessions.
Do you have the particular, industry-specific experience that negotiating a house sale necessitates, even if you have sales experience? If not, you’ll almost certainly be better off employing an agent, who has presumably negotiated hundreds of transactions.
Then there’s the issue of emotion, which may undoubtedly interfere with getting the greatest offer. Many sellers, understandably, have an unreasonable emotional attachment to the property they’ve lived in for many years, which can make negotiating difficult. If you’re in that boat, you are “You’re more likely to get emotional about the process, and you’re more prone to make terrible decisions without your own agent to point out when you’re being illogical.”
5. Better Marketing Tools
Finally, a marketing aware agent will know how to use the best, most effective marketing tools, particularly for digital marketing, which is a requirement today. Unless you’re a digital marketing wizard, hiring an agency is your best bet.
Here’s why: “Social networking sites are used by 91 percent of all [agents] as a marketing tool. Almost everyone who visits their page is looking to buy a house in the region. Furthermore, [agents] are actively involved in driving traffic to their own websites, and they can also list homes on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).”
Of course, you can do it on your own, but it will be more expensive. “An FSBO seller will have to pay an outside agency several hundred dollars in order to list a home on the MLS, as well as cover the cost of the buyer’s agent fee,” for example.
In Houston, it pays to hire an agent over an FSBO for most sellers. Contact us immediately at (713) 866-4000 if you’re ready to sell and take advantage of the advantages that come with hiring an agent.