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Are Realtors really necessary?

By
Real Estate Agent with Janisch & Co. 0396361

 

For years, many people have regarded REALTORS as an unnecessary part of the sales transaction. “After all, they only plant a sign in the yard, place an ad in the paper and pray that someone will come along and buy! For that little bit of work, they collect a BIG commission.” If that is your feeling, lets look at some interesting facts.

 

When it is time to sell your home, it is well to realize that there may be some emotional involvement with this place where you have stored your stuff. It has been said that relocation is “a moving experience!” Perhaps you have lots of memories of events that happened while you lived in the house, or perhaps you have put down lots of roots over the years. It may even be that you hate to leave friends you have in the neighborhood. For any number of reasons, you may not be able to look at the house you have called home with any degree of objectivity.

 

Your perception of the condition of the house will be different than that of the people who are shopping for a home. You look at the dirty smudges on the wall and remember the happy children running in and out. A gouge in the wall brings to mind a short scuffle between kids. The spider webs escape your sight because they accumulated so slowly over many years. The stains in the carpet are not that noticeable, especially when you compare them to what the original stain from the plate of spaghetti was. All these little details are seen by a prospective buyer as a reason that you should lower your price.

 

Price is paramount to the sale of the house. It determines the speed at which you will sell it, and the amount that you will actually walk away from the closing table with after closing costs are paid. The price should be set according to the market in your specific neighborhood, and the condition of your specific house. You may feel that you have to get a certain amount based upon what you have heard things have sold for. Rumors about the sales of property around yours are not an accurate gage of the market. Recorded sales of record, such as the data in MLS are an accurate measurement. Realtors have access to that kind of data and are able to make objective comparisons.

 

Placing an ad is relatively easy, but did you know that federal laws now extend to what can be placed in a newspaper? You might accidentally place an ad that could be construed as discriminating. You might also attract a potential buyer who has in mind taking advantage of the fact that you are selling the house by yourself. There are statistics that prove that people who employ a REALTOR to help them with the sale of their homes usually net 10% more from the sale, even after commissions, than people who do it themselves.

 

Even if you have a lot of knowledge about the real estate in your area, do you also know about how to help a prospective buyer get financing? How about being sure they are qualified to buy your home? Title insurance? Contracts? Inspections? Negotiating?

 

Realtors have been given training to help with the difficult parts of the transaction. The more experience they have, the better your chances for a smooth relocation. When it comes to moving, the packing and actual going are difficult enough without running the risks of having problems with the actual sale.

 

It may be that this is one of many cases in life where you really do get what you pay for! We hope that each person who uses a REALTOR finds that the experience is worth its weight in gold!

Posted by

KW image 

Ralph and Jeanne Janisch

BROKERS

305B CR 234

Durango, CO 81301

P: (970) 759-1007

P: (970) 759-0027

 E: ralph@durangohometeam.com

W:  www.ralphandjeannejanisch.com

 W: www.durangohometeam.com

Durango, Mancos, Cortez, Dolores, Bayfield, Ignacio, Vallecito

Comments (2)

Larry Bergstrom
Crescent Realty, Inc. Spanaway, WA. - Spanaway, WA
CNE, CRS, GRI

You go guys. As your post points out, there are many questions that sellers have about our value. We have to always remember to bring them up.

Oct 04, 2010 02:56 PM
Ricki Eichler McCallum
CastNet Realty - Corpus Christi, TX
Broker,GRI,ABR, e-Pro, TAHS

If the general public walked one day in my real estate shoes, they would not even begin to think they could market and sell their home by themselves.  These days it is such a liability and there is so much to know.  Why do people think we go to school most of our lives if they can do it themselves without the schooling?

Oct 04, 2010 02:59 PM