There are almost as many ways to sell your home as there are Plymouth homes for sale. But if you want to get the job done quickly and effectively, with as little hassle as possible, your best bet is to do it through an agent. Here are six ways an agent makes it easier to sell your home.
- More Buyers to Choose From. Agents know the area and how and where to find people looking to buy a home. What's more, they have a resource that independent sellers don't: the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), a database of information on available properties, their locations, values, etc. Listing your home on the MLS allows agents to cast a wider net and find a suitable buyer more quickly.
- More Money. You may think selling your home yourself (a For Sale By Owner or FSBO deal) will save you money since an agent takes a cut of what you make on the sale. However, without an agent's help, your home will likely have a lower sale price. Agents know how to negotiate and get you a better price than most people could get on their own. An agent's fee is typically 6% of your home's sale price. But without one, sale prices average 6% lower anyway. Better to hire an agent and make your job easier.
- Save Time. How do you know how serious a potential buyer is? They could be someone looking to see what's out there or a neighbor curious about the resale value of other homes in the area. The longer you spend dealing with lookie-loos, the less time you have for serious buyers. An agent can help weed out the ones who aren't serious. They know what to ask to determine a person's genuine interest, so you can spend more time on the buyers and less time on the lookers.
- Objectivity. When you live in a place day in and day out, there are many things you become accustomed to. Certain issues may be things you've dealt with for years and have adjusted to without thinking. Others may have come on so gradually that you never realized there was a problem in the first place. An agent lends your home an objective, expert eye. On a walkthrough, they can spot all the problems you can't and show you exactly what needs to be done to fix your home up and raise its resale value.
- Paperwork. What contracts, disclosures, and other forms do you need to prepare and sign to make your home's sale legally binding? There's a lot of paperwork involved in selling your house, and if you neglect some of it or file it incorrectly, you risk exposing yourself to legal troubles. Your agent, however, does this for a living. They know exactly what paperwork you need and how to do it properly and can guide you through the entire process, beginning to end.
- Experience. The bottom line is that an agent knows what they're doing. They're experienced in selling homes—finding the right buyer, getting the most money, and getting your home on and off the market as quickly as possible. They're someone in your corner, looking out for your best interest. When hiring an agent, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.
If you're ready to sell your home or buy your dream home, contact us. Our real estate agents will guide you through the process, every step of the way, to help you get what you want.