Why You Shouldn’t Sell Your Home Yourself

The Real Scare of the Season is Missing Out on a Great Realtor

Every Realtor that ever there was has heard this comment at least once before: “Why would I bother hiring a Realtor when I can just sell my home myself?” Extra points if said with a smug smirk, like they’ve cracked the code that real estate agents are only as valuable as a “For Sale” sign in the front yard. Well, not to rain on those people’s parades…but they’re missing quite a few pieces of the puzzle. Namely, the incredible benefits of having a Realtor and the disastrous pitfalls of trying to sell their home solo. 

If you’re someone who’s flirted with the idea of selling your home by yourself, that’s okay! It’s a tempting thought when you’re first starting out. I’m happy you’re here. If you’ll allow me, let me demystify the real estate process a little and show you why a good Realtor is not just a valuable asset to your team…but oftentimes an investment that returns to you many times over. 

How Do You Price A For Sale By Owner Home?  

When it comes to selling a home, there’s one thing that’s essential to get right: the price. “Um, duh, Amy,” I hear you say. “That’s true with selling anything.” Well, my friend, I ask you this: what is the “right” price for your home? 

Some might hear that question and start to think of all the years they’ve spent in their home. They might think about the memories, the birth or growth of their families, the holidays spent with loved ones, and the painstaking time spent beautifying the home to their personal tastes. Others might simply see dollar signs. “I don’t care how much it’s worth,” they might think,”I just want a big profit.” Still others, caught up in the stress of the moving process, might say “I’d sell it for pennies at this point, Amy, I just need it out of my hair!” 

All of these are valid thoughts for a homeowner to have as they try to decide what they want to list their house for. They aren’t, however, very reliable indicators of what the market thinks your home is worth. 

The market is, at the end of the day, a numbers game. It doesn’t factor in sentimentality, or how much profit you want from your home, or even how fast you need it to sell. What it does consider are things like lot size, location, and what comparable homes have sold for recently. A lot of that information is tough to find if you’re not already an industry pro, and even when you get it, deciphering it is a whole other issue.

A Realtor, though, lives in those numbers. We play the game every day. Think of us as a translator and guide. We’ll give you the information you need to make an informed decision, showing you exactly what your home valuation looks like and come up with some strategies to play the game in a way that ends with keys in your pocket and extra profit in your wallet. In fact, the value of a knowledgeable agent will often earn you larger profits and a shorter timeline from list to sale than could ever be achieved in a FSBO. 

How To Market A Home Without A Realtor?

If you’re a Gen X like me, well, my friend, we’ve got to face it: the digital age is here. Online marketing has become a huge game-changer, especially when it comes to buying or selling a home. Nowadays, when someone’s looking for a home, they don’t aimlessly drive around their neighborhoods of choice looking for a sign in the yard…they’re headed straight to Google. 

A savvy agent knows the power of social media and has used it to good use. Whether it’s posting their listings to Instagram, sharing pictures and details on their Facebook pages, or doing full walkthrough tours on their YouTube channel (my personal favorite), an agent will reach a broader audience of interested buyers than you’d likely get by sharing the exact same thing on your personal accounts. 

Not only that, but we real estate agents have access to a powerful tool, the MLS, that has far more accurate and up-to-date information on the market than anything you’ll find on Zillow. This makes it infinitely easier for us to find brand-new properties on the market. By the time that information has trickled down to open-access sites, some of those homes are already long-since sold. That alone is an incredible marketing tool for your home, and it’s one you simply won’t get if you don’t have a Realtor on your side. 

Dealing With Contracts, Showings, And The Endless Back And Forth

One of the most important roles of a Realtor is as a liaison between you and…well, everyone else. Other agents, interested buyers, title companies, etc. When you decide to sell your house, you’re not likely to have the perfect buyer materialize immediately, cash in hand and ready to move in at your leisure. The moment that house is on the market, you’re thrust into a world of contracts, negotiations, walk-throughs, inspections, appraisals, etc. Every move counts, and keeping track of those negotiations can be a big strain on a family that’s in the process of planning a move. 

Not only will an agent handle those things for you, keeping your updated and informed the whole way through, but they also know what’s normal, what’s not, and can be a powerful advocate for you in the negotiation process. In my experience, I’ve frequently negotiated contracts for my clients that have saved them thousands. On top of pricing their home right in the first place…well, the numbers add up. A good Realtor pays for itself.  

Ready To Find The Right Realtor For You? 

So. If you came into this blog dead-set on selling your home alone, I hope this might have given you some insight into what it is we Realtors do and how it adds, not subtracts, value to the sale of your home. The only thing we do subtract is your stress. Leave the stress and numbers and negotiations to us…you just focus on enjoying this transitory time in your life! 

Ready to embark on your homeownership journey in sunny Central Florida with a Realtor by your side? Come join us here in Disney’s Backyard of Horizon West, Florida. I’m here to help guide you through the process, so let’s get in touch! Call or text me on my cell at 407-848-8042, email me at amy@heartandhomeorlando.com, or submit a wishlist right here on my website to start your journey to homeownership! PLUS, if you’d like a personalized home valuation report on your Horizon West home, consider getting a FREE HomePULSE right here. 

Have questions on why it’s worth it to have a Realtor? Let me know in the comments!