Why Use a Real Estate Agent?
Some homeowners sell their homes themselves without the help or
a real estate agent, in order to save the commission fees charged by
an agent. The commission rate varies, depending on where you live
or what agency the agent works for. Lately, real estate agents have
started to decrease their fees in order to get more home sale business.
Handling your own sale means you will be responsible for placing
homes for sale ads, answering phones and showing your home to potential
home buyers. Home buyers who know you are saving on an agent’s
commission may take advantage of this and offer less for your home,
wiping out the financial benefit of doing it yourself.
Be aware that a real estate agent is an expert in home selling,
and knows all about the business of selling. Here are some of the
advantages professional real estate agents offer:
• They will help with establishing a fair asking sale price
for your home.
• The agent will list your property in the Multiple listing
services (MLS). A multiple listing service is a book or a computer
database that all real estate agents who subscribe to the service
can access. Your home will get viewed by all those real estate agents,
one of whom may have the perfect buyer for your home.
• They will create, pay for and place advertising for you.
• They will schedule appointments to show your home to prospective
buyers even when you are not there.
• The buyers who will not qualify for a mortgage.
• They can refer you to sources for insurance, inspections,
legal counsel and financing.
• They will help you negotiate with the buyer.
• They can make suggestions to help make your home more attractive
to a potential buyer.
If you decide to sell through an agent, make sure you pick one with
plenty of experience. Talk to several agents before picking the
one you want to work with. Walk through your home and property with
the agent to get to know the agents sales approach, and how he or
she will handle prospective buyers. Ask prospective agents how they
would to market your home. Do not work with an agent just because
the agent sets the highest asking home price. Negotiate the real
estate broker’s commission fee prior to listing your home,
and sign for a limited period of time—usually three to six
months.
About HomeGain:
HomeGain's Find a REALTOR® service allows anyone
looking to buy a home or sell a home to find a real estate agent
who is a qualified, local professional. Simply submit a profile
telling us about your house for sale or the home you wish to buy.
HomeGain then notifies neighborhood real estate agents about your
needs. REALTORS® will submit proposals to help you sell or buy
a home, and HomeGain notifies you via email. You can then return
to HomeGain to view your proposals, and then choose which real estate
agents you wish to contact and interview. Your selected REALTOR®
can then help you market your home for sale to get top dollar, or
help you find homes for sale and get the most home for the best
price.
