The fact is, most people who try to sell their own home end up using a REALTOR® in the end anyway. Before anybody decides to fly solo through this complex, time consuming and financially perilous process, they should consider these questions.
Will you really "save" the real estate commission?
When buyers see a home for sale ‘by the owner', they see a bargain. They imagine the REALTORS® fee going into their pocket, not yours.
Are you familiar with real estate law?
Complicated and ever changing, real estate law governs nearly every phase of selling your home. One mis-step, and an entire deal can fall through, or worse, a lawsuit can come your way.
How many potential buyers will you reach?
Selling a home takes more than just hanging a "For Sale" sign. How will you promote your home? Will you write your own ads? How will you use the Internet, knowing that you'll have no access to www.mls.ca or the Multiple Listing Service®?
Do you have the time?
Promoting a home is a full time job, and you may already have one. Will you be able to take calls at any time? How about screening the callers to figure out if they're qualified to buy your home? Not everybody who calls is even suitable to walk through your home, but how do you tell?
Do you know the market well enough to get the most for your home?
Lacking years of experience, the average do-it-yourselfer is merely guessing at their listing price. Often they set the price too low and miss out on thousands of dollars, or they price their home too high and drive away willing buyers
What about your selling skills?
If the personalities of prospective buyers rub you the wrong way, can you still deal with them effectively? What about your own defensiveness when you hear negative comments about your home? Best to keep it at arms length through a REALTOR®.
Do you have the negotiation skills to keep a deal on track?
When an offer comes in, emotions can run high with so much money on the line. This is why direct seller-to-buyer deals often end in disaster. REALTORS® keep it professional and are indispensable when it comes to bargaining with buyers.
What to expect from your REALTOR®
REALTORS® help you get the most for your home and they remove stress and confusion from the process. Here are just some of the advantages.
Your REALTOR® becomes your home's champion.
When you sign a "Listing Agreement" with your REALTOR®, this is their promise that they will use their skills and resources to get you the best deal for your home.
REALTORS® know how to attract the most potential buyers.
Your REALTOR® is an expert home promoter, connected to a network of other REALTORS® and their buyers. They know how to write compelling ads for your home, and only REALTORS® can place your home on the Multiple Listing Service®.
REALTORS® will help you increase your homes "sale-ability"
You probably have an emotional attachment to your home, and therefore can't view it objectively. Your REALTOR® will help you present your home in the best possible light, so buyers will fall in love with it more easily.
Legal know how? They know how.
A mishandled document can ruin a sale, or lead to legal action. Your REALTOR® has the experience to recognize potential hurtles early and the resources to help you find solutions and get the process back on track quickly.
Market Knowledge - To help you get the most for your home.
REALTORS® are masters of reading the market and recommending the best price for your home. A REALTOR'S® experience literally pays!
Negotiation Skills - To keep the deal on track.
REALTORS® are indispensable when it comes to bargaining with buyers. Tempers can flare and heels can dig on. Your REALTOR® is an expert at smoothing things out.
SOURCE - http://www.howrealtorshelp.ca
By: Paul Winter, REALTOR®
www.century21.ca/paul.winter