To Sell With or Without a Realtor?
It's fair to say that when it comes time to sell a property, many homeowners have contemplated selling their own home. Even as REALTOR myself, I think it's a fair thought to cross one's mind. The upside is that one saves on commissions and theoretically pockets more money from the home sale. Based on comments that I've personally received, it appears that to many outsiders, selling a house looks easy. Sign in the lawn. Pictures on MLS and a fancy write up. You're set to sell! But the fact is, it isn't that easy. Exposure is important and the MLS is a wonderful tool and so is the Internet. But those two entities in and of themselves aren't enough to sell a house. I can't help but feel that a major component is overlooked when considering for sale by owner. And that is the emotional aspect of buying and selling. Or the awkwardness of buying and selling.
Yes, awkwardness. I find this issue is never addressed but it's one that I have come across time and time again and have first hand experience with myself. Showing your own home is awkward, and I can say that because I've done it. It doesn't work. How much to say, what to say and when to say it might seem simple enough but it's actually a learned skill. And you learn it through practice, by doing it over and over again - something that you're probably not going to get a chance at doing when selling your own home. Buying a home is huge investment - the biggest financial investment and commitment many people make in their lifetime. Recognizing and understanding the fears that buyers have and working with them to overcome these fears in order to close a deal, is also a learned skill. A REALTOR's ability to move prospective buyers and sellers together to close a transaction is ultimately the value in using a professional.
I'm not one to ever tell people what can and can't be accomplished. This post isn't about why a home seller can't sell his or her own home. It has been done and will be done many times in the future. Rather, my point is to illustrate that there are other considerations than MLS exposure when it comes to selling a home, and the emotionally aspect is one that I feel is often overlooked.