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Should Real Estate Agents use Real Estate Agents to sell their own property?

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Services for Real Estate Pros

Should a Real Estate Agent use another Real Estate Agent to sell their own property?

I'm sure the first answer out of your month is NO WAY!

That is understandable of course.

But are you really the best person to sell your own home?

Your emotionally involved.

Your financially involved.

You have access to the information to justify your slightly higher asking price.

You might be tempted to spend a bit more on advertising your slightly over priced house.

Lots of people give good advice and then don't follow it themselves (Doctors and smoking for example).

It is easy to justify critism until it is pointed at you.

On the other hand of course.

You have access to every Real Estate Agent in your county,

It's not difficult to find out who sells lots of homes.

You may get a referral fee from the transaction (Not sure if thats legal in some States or any States?)

You know the business and know what is expected of a seller.

Is another Real Estate Agent not going to work 150% harder to sell your property than any other property.

If you spend the time networking and on improving your sphere of influence, is that not a better use of time than selling your own home.

I don't know the answers but just thought I would raise the questions.

 

 

Comments (4)

Kathleen R. Cosner
Cutler Real Estate - Akron, OH

Thanks for posting, Alan, this is a really good topic!  I would/will probably refer it out when the time comes.  I deffinately will want a non-interested 3rd party to suggest the delcuttering & sprucing up stuff to me (and hubby.)  I also would not want to deal with the buyer calls for liabilty reasons.  I guess not only being an owner-agent, but also being an owner-occupied-agent scares the crap out of me when it comes to listing a property myself.  Then there's the whole thing, what if a buyer just totally hates my house?  I think I'd need someone to break it to me gently.  I'm really kind of sensitive about things like that, without a buffer, I'd probably cry.  And really, my own niche is bank repos.  I haven't touched a regular retail sale in years.  What do I know selling a normal house?  Why not hire a pro? 

 

Feb 24, 2008 01:49 PM
Lisa Santacaterina
Urban Nest Realty - Las Vegas, NV
Realtor

Personally speaking, I'd hire an agent..  but only one that I felt completly competent and I would ask for a 30 - 35% referral fee.  The reason I say this is that I am a busy agent and having to list my own property (which you know I would market the heck out of and go completly crazy over) would possibly result in less attention to my existing clients.  Now, when it comes to buying a home for yourself I say DO IT YOURSELF..  we all know we'd be doing most of the work anyways.

 Just my two cents!

Feb 25, 2008 07:30 AM
Alan Langstone
Mount Pleasant, SC

Thanks, Katie & Lisa.

Strange, I thought that the general comment that I would get back would be that the agent would do themselves.

That said the general lack of comments might be saying the same!

Feb 25, 2008 10:57 AM
Hank Roeters
Platinum Partners Realtors - Darien, IL
I've sold my own home 3 times and had no trouble doing so. (3 different homes)  I've seen other agents sell their own homes and think that most of the time they start out overpriced. In Illinois you can list your own home but cannot do dual agency on the sale of your own property.
Feb 25, 2008 11:55 AM