Why You Need a True Professional to Sell Your Home
Many people ask us whether they should hire an agent to sell their home or whether they should first try as a For Sale by Owner (FSBO). In today’s volatile market, we believe this is an easy decision: you need an experienced professional!
You need an expert guide if you are traveling a dangerous path
The field of real estate is loaded with land mines. You need a true expert to guide you through the dangerous pitfalls that currently exist. Finding a buyer willing to pay fair market value for your home at a time that there are mass inventories of foreclosures and short sales will take a true real estate professional. Finding reasonable financing can also be tricky in today’s lending environment.
You need a skilled negotiator
In today’s market, hiring a talented negotiator could save you thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of dollars. Each step of the way – from the original offer, to the possible re-negotiation of that off after a home inspection, to the possible cancellation of the deal based on a troubled appraisal – you need someone who can keep the deal together until it closes.
Realize that when an agent is negotiating their commission with you, they are negotiating their own salary; the salary that keeps a roof over their family’s head; the salary that puts food on their family’s table. If they are quick to take less when negotiating for themselves and their families, what makes you think they will not act the same way when negotiating for you and your family? If they were Clark Kent when negotiating with you, they will not turn into Superman when negotiating with the buyer or seller in your deal.
Bottom Line
We believe that famous sayings become famous because they are true. You get what you pay for. Just like a good accountant or a good attorney, a good agent will save you money…not cost you money.
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Brings to mind several comments I have heard over the years such as:
“if you think your paying a professional Realtor is to expensive, wait till you see what it cost to hire an amature”, or when they say the other fellow will work for less, “well he knows what his service is worth”.
Still it takes a little tact and finesse to make some people understand and then maybe the agent just has to walk away.
I love that Clark Kent/Superman analogy….very true. People so willing to drop their fee are sometimes motivated by one thing. If they don’t care about their own income, what makes you think they care about finding the seller the best price? Or will invest in a killer marketing plan to find the highest paying buyer?
Excellent post, this is why visit KCM again and again. The Superman analogy certainly makes the point clear: if they won’t negotiate for their commission, they won’t negotiate for your best interests.
Love the Superman analogy! Will send this to all my partner agents and sellers who are still sitting on their FSBO waiting to use me to purchase their move- up.
The ” you get what you pat for” theory is overblown, and far from the truth. In various parts of my business I’m getting great products and services that have been discounted because of competition and the economy in general. Fiscounts are part of life, and just because we’re selling homes isn’t reason enough to not discount your services. I’d rather sell 10 homes with a discounted commission than 5 at a full commission. Used correctly discounts can help you gain marketshare. As agents, we shouldn’t think that we’re guaranteed anything We have to earn whatever we can at a point in time.
Many sellers today don’t understand the Realtor’s job. They have a skewed perception- due to seeing their agent at “signature events”. They get the listing agent part- but rarely the marketing, and definitely not the tedious process “from contract to close”. Pre-listing Positioning, Advanced Marketing to real estate community, their buyers, initial lender (today- an addt’l underwriter), the coordinating 17-21 people (avg) who participate in each vital step of the home selling process… and more….That’s a job for a Realtor who has a plan and a Plan and Process Proven to succeed- Not for the faint of heart- and Not just anyone willing to put your home in an MLS or online “somewhere” hoping that buyers stumble over it. And yes, I understand discounts- ie.,when a homeseller already has a potential buyer… What if that buyer can’t close?? We’ve all seen it happen w/ unrepresented sellers. What then? Just one example of how we can “save the day” by having a proven process already in action- For the Next Buyer- Not Just the 1st one!
even the owner of forsalebyowner.com listed with an agent!!