The Unique Real Estate Blog

Real estate agents are very special people. In fact they possess almost godlike qualities. At least this is the only conclusion I can draw when I see the fat pay checks that an agent notches up for opening a house door and walking around with some people

Now I know I am going to upset many agents with this article but so be it.

What I do want to do is demystify the whole agent versus For Sale By Owner debate.

So let’s examine why your agent may be a secret agent that’s keeping a very big secret to himself. Lets see what this superstar is going to do for you that you couldn’t do yourself, when selling your own home.

Point one – The agent is a Professional and you are not. Come on! A Professional at what exactly – Opening a door or describing a room? This is a total snow job. Agents may actually know less about your property value than you do. It’s certainly not difficult to get qualified as an agent and it’s not rocket science, although the agent will have you believe that only they have the expertise to handle the inquiry and the prospect.

Point Two – If you don’t use an agent you will have a security risk. The agent screens the client right? And only brings well-credentialed people who have the ability to buy, through your house, right? Yeah. Right. You must believe in the tooth fairy as well if you’re buying that line. Most agents I’ve met will bring anyone who has a pulse through your house, so that you are at least getting an inspection. They want you to know how hard they are working and I’ve even known agents to bring one of their family members posing as a prospect, through the property.

Point Three – Agents vet the buyer for their ability to buy your home don’t they? Well sorry to disappoint but no. Agents rarely do more than ask the most basic of questions of a prospect. After all they know the prospect may take offense from being quizzed about their finances. Certainly the better agents do make an attempt to vet the client but it’s nothing you couldn’t do far more effectively yourself. Agents know that if they keep a potential buyer on side he may buy any one of the many properties on the agent’s books. As a private seller you don’t have to concern yourself with that and you can ask the questions the agents often avoid.

Point Four – Only agents understand the infinitely complex legal and financial aspects of selling. Um nope. In fact once your agent has the buyer most of the other work will be done by the legal representatives of the buyer and seller. The banks keep tabs on the mortgage and between the bank and the lawyer all the paperwork gets done.

Point Five – Only agents have the vast marketing reach that a seller needs. Well this at least has some minimal basis in fact. They do generally speaking see many more buyers than you will as a FSBO seller. But of course that’s the case as they have tons of homes on their books. It doesn’t follow though that they will see more buyers for your own home than you will.

Point Six – Only an agent has the negotiating skills to carry off a sale and to secure the highest price. What rubbish this is. Your greatest negotiating tool will be that you aren’t paying Ten Thousand dollars in agent’s commission and so you’ve been able to offer the buyer a far more realistic price. It’s true that agents can be more pushy and confident in negotiations but it has never been proven (and never can be) that this leads to either more sales or a higher price. You’re an adult and whether your negotiating style is to be subtle or to be as subtle as a sledgehammer, either way you know your price and what you find acceptable. At least your judgment won’t be clouded by the desire to earn a commission.

So the point in all this is that the agents have a vested interest in keeping you thinking that the whole sales process is this big scary hard to do thing. The alone are the sacred keepers of the forbidden sales knowledge and you need them.

The truth is simple and it’s this. Selling your home is as easy or as difficult as the supply and demand for your house and it has very little to do with whether or not you use an agent. It has every thing to do with your market and the marketing that you do.

You should use an agent when you just really can’t be bothered in organizing anything yourself. The same applies to many other things in life. There are times when it’s just easier to outsource. But just do it for that reason alone and not because your Secret Agent has let you believe that you aren’t capable of selling your own home without an agents help.

Sell my own home

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