Looking to sell your home in the next few months?  There are two ways you can do that – you may hire a professional agent or be your own agent. Hiring a realtor means you'll have to part with 6% of the total selling price once the process is over. As such, many people are reluctant to go in that direction and choose the “for sale by owner” (FSBO) route. But, if you feel like this 6% fee is not worth it, think again. This article aims to discuss whether you should hire a realtor or ignore this stage of the home selling process.

1. Getting Buyers Will Be A Hassle

Usually, when a realtor is showing their client available homes to buy, they try as much as possible to avoid the ones listed as FSBO. For sale by owner means the realtor, who is an expert in the field, will be dealing with someone who doesn’t have the professional capacity when it comes to home selling. As such, it will be a hassle for the two to come into an agreement. In fact, the agent will recommend declining the offer even if the buyer is interested. 

The only reason your FSBO property will get a buyer working with a realtor is when the price is ridiculously low, or if there aren’t more homes in the market at the time. On the other hand, when you have a realtor, like Vendor Advocate, in charge of your house, there are high chances of them getting a buyer without too much hassle. Their colleague, on the other end, will be willing to do business, owing to the fact that they both are experienced in this market. 

2. Emotional Sales 

One of the main reasons why hiring a realtor should be your priority is to avoid pulse buying. An experienced real estate agent will not be driven by emotions when making their sales decisions. On the other hand, this could prove difficult to avoid, especially when you’re desperate to sell. When an under-priced offer comes in, you might give in too easily or refuse to counter with a better offer. As such, there are high chances of missing out on an excellent deal because you couldn’t act professionally. These are some of the things that you can circumvent if you have an experienced agent by your side to help you through the process.

3. Access To A Large Network

People would like to sell their homes within the shortest time possible and to the right buyers. One of the methods to accelerate the home selling process is exposing your property to a large network of potential buyers. You can have a lot of friends, but very few of them will be interested in buying your property. A realtor, on the other hand, has a huge network of direct buyers and fellow realtors. 

As such, they have an advantage since they can easily complete the transaction a few weeks after listing your home. Another thing that gives them an upper hand is the fact that there are a few buyers who are already waiting for the right house to be listed. Working as your own agent will deny you all these privileges, and you might not get the best deal since there won’t be any competition among buyers interested in the property. 

4. Advantages At The Negotiation Table

Negotiating a home sale is one skill that you should never underestimate. Even if you have some experience in the sales department, you might never outdo a realtor when it comes to real estate business. At the negotiation table, the buyer's agent will have an advantage over you since they've already closed several deals over the years. Therefore, at the end of the day, you might end up with less money in your pocket than the anticipated price. Your emotions might take a toll on you, and you could end up making poor decisions. So, the skills of a realtor are very crucial if you want to be a happy seller. 

Conclusion 

Although for sale by owner can be a viable route to take, hiring an expert in real estate business should always be your priority. For one, you might have little to no experience in the world of real estate, yet you will be negotiating with a professional realtor. In addition to their skills, a realtor brings a huge network of potential buyers to the table. They're also not blinded by emotions, hence making reasonable decisions. At the end of the day, you’ll realize that the 6% commission is worth the role played by a realtor.