7 reasons selling without a real estate agent is a recipe for disaster

Selling a home without a real estate agent is just plain risky. Private sellers jeopardise their time, money, and most importantly, an advantageous outcome.

But, despite research that shows that shows that some private listings sell for around 5 percent less than comparable properties sold through the agents, some sellers still want to go down the do-it-yourself route, forgoing the cost of commission and the aid of an agent.

In reality, a listing agent brings more to the table than most homeowners realise. 

1. Knowledge

What you don’t know can absolutely hurt you, and it can come back to bite you even worse.

Our knowledge is priceless.

Agents know what the internet doesn’t tell consumers, and they can provide insight that consumers can’t get online. We know how to make sense of the data and the entire selling process so that sellers and their home are fully prepared before hitting the market.

2. Time

Everyone’s time is valuable, but do sellers truly have time to attempt to play the real estate agent role?

Are sellers available to show their home in a safe manner, and is it accessible on a moment’s notice?

How will sellers handle showings when they are on vacation for a week and there are cash buyers in town?

Can you say lost opportunity?

Do sellers have the time to devote to scheduling and managing showing appointments? What about feedback? Do sellers know what questions to ask and the best way to reach agents to elicit a response?

Are they able to aptly respond to agent and buyer questions, concerns and objections in a manner that will help overcome the hesitation to move forward?

Are sellers able to offer solutions to buyer-perceived obstacles with the property? Can they furnish expert resources such as mortgage providers, contractors etc.

3. Presentation

Image is everything when it comes to real estate. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and the same goes for putting a property up for sale.

Do sellers know how to properly prepare their home for sale, and do they know what it needs or doesn’t need?

Are they able to stage it or bring in someone who can? What about professional photography, drone, video and 3D? Are they able to orchestrate photo and video shoots with ease and know who to contact? What about photo styling and having an eye for how a space will translate on camera?

4. Marketing

How are sellers going to market their property? Do they know who the buyer demographic is for their home and/or neighbourhood? How do sellers reach buyers?

Do sellers have access to predictive analytics or know how to strategically promote the listing to other agents in the community and on social media?

Are they local or regional, or must sellers reach out nationally or internationally?

5. Negotiation experience

So, the sellers received an offer. Now what? How do they respond? What do they look for in that purchase agreement?

What terms and conditions could be disadvantageous to the sellers? What costs should or shouldn’t they incur? Do they know how to negotiate to keep the buyer in the game versus walking away?

How do they strike a delicate balance between protecting their interests as a seller and working with the buyer toward the goal of putting an agreement together?

Here’s where what sellers don’t know can hurt them the most.

6. Transaction management

So, the home is under contract with a buyer. What do sellers do next? Do they know who they need to be in contact with?

Who is going to be handling the closing? What items should they be following up on? How will they handle challenges like the property coming in under value or the buyer’s financing is shaky?

7. Closing finesse

Do sellers know what the closing protocol is in their market and what the expectations are? When do sellers have to be completely move out of the house?

In some markets, that means by the day of closing, and in others, the seller has possession for a few days after closing.

What condition are sellers expected to leave the home in? How do they handle unexpected, last-minute issues that may arise: the movers damage the home when moving belongings out, the air conditioner is on the blink, or worse yet, the moving crew doesn’t show up when they are supposed to.

Selling a home without an agent is like throwing caution to the wind along with the commission.

The perceived savings can come back to bite sellers in terms of uninformed decisions and costly mistakes that — in the long run — end up costing sellers more money than if they would have used an agent to protect their interests and help them justify their home’s value in the first place

Why even worry about any of the above when we can handle all points for you?

Call us now to list your apartment, villa or commercial building for sale!