Sell Your 33477, Jupiter, FL Home

A July 2017 study by Collateral Analytics found that For Sale by Owners (or FSBOs for short) don’t actually save anything, and in some cases may be costing themselves more, by not listing with an agent. In fact, the study showed that FSBOs sold their homes for 5.5 – 6% less than similar properties sold by Realtors using the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).

Understandably, some sellers are intimidated by the complexity of the transaction, after all, there are a lot of moving parts…timelines, legal disclosures, etc. When a skilled Realtor® is involved, a transaction just has an effortless flow to it – they manage buyer/seller emotions, transaction complexities, marketing and expectations. This moves the whole buying and selling process along smoothly, which everyone wants when they’re making a major life change.

Only Realtors are allowed to market homes for sale in the MLS.  Because of that, homes sold independently without a Realtor will not show up on the MLS. 

Why is that a big deal?  Well, the MLS is the first place most Realtors start when looking for homes to show prospective buyers.  Listing your home for sale in the MLS offers the property the greatest exposure because it is actively marketed to all South Florida Realtors, and it is also usually automatically syndicated and displayed on third-party sites like Zillow or Realtor.com.  You get the best of both worlds.

In addition to the MLS, real estate agents have established massive personal and professional contacts over several years. This contact list includes clients, other real estate companies, and agents who can bring a huge pool of potential buyers to your home. Many buyers contact real estate agents when searching for a property, meaning most will be going for houses listed by an agent. Without hiring a reliable real estate agent gives you an increased network to sell your home, it will increase the chances of lowering the selling prices, more days on the market, and mistakes during your selling process.

Your Realtor® is an expert in home prices for your area. They obsessively track the market and make note of any ups or downs that could affect your home’s value. As a result, they can make sure that your home is listed for an accurate amount that draws interest but still helps you sell for a strong price.

Many homeowners think they know how much their house is worth, but their emotions may cloud their perspective.  Some fascinating work by behavioral economists coined this phenomenon, the Endowment Effect. By working with a Realtor®, you can develop an accurate, unbiased and realistic listing price.

On the flip side of this – sometimes homeowners err on the wrong side of the value equation and drastically undervalue their homes.  A competent and ethical Realtor® can really help owners maximize their sale price in these scenarios.

Unqualified buyers bring lots of interruptions to the home seller. The seller might waste time and energy to present the home on appointments or phone calls instead of attending to serious buyers. Real estate agents are experienced and trained in identifying qualified and motivated buyers who are truly interested in buying the property. Focusing on the right buyers will boost the chances of closing in the sale for the right price.

Not only do Realtors have special training in real estate, there’s no substitute for the boots-on-the-ground experience you can get with an experienced Realtor.  They can share their market knowledge with you, they have an understanding of historic sales in your neighborhood, and they are able to conduct a detailed analysis of comparable homes for sale in your area.

And because they’ve been there and done that, an experienced Realtor can often predict what will happen during a negotiation and develop strategies to overcome those obstacles in advance.  Experience matters in making sure you get the best possible deal. 

It's all about that final price, and for sellers, the idea of handing part of that to an agent can feel a little unsettling.

Consider this: The average selling price for a "for sale by owner" home was $208,700 compared with $235,000 for an agent-assisted sale, according to 2016 numbers from NAR, which points up that the odds of getting the price you want (and maybe even more), increase when you have a seasoned expert at your side. 

And a bigger profit means you can still walk away with the cash you hoped for.

Plus, Realtors aren't emotionally invested in your property. And that's a good thing, because more than likely, you are. Your home holds memories, good and bad, and letting go can be a heart-wrenching process.

Human beings simply don't make the best decisions when they're emotional. A Realtor can be a common-sense constant who negotiates with his head instead of his heart.

While we believe most real estate professionals are honest folks, those who belong to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) have agreed to conduct themselves according to the Realtor Code of Ethics, 17 rules that ensure standards of practice to promote honesty and fairness. 

What this means is that your Realtor is looking for you - and only you. Plain and simple.

Are you ready for your phone to ring and for your email to blow up?  Many homeowners that try to sell their home independently give up after a week or two because it is such a hassle. 

Think about it.  You’ll be getting contacted directly by agents, nosy neighbors, and potential buyers that want to see your home.  Next, you’ll be dealing with disclosures, inspections, contracts, and potential re-negotiations.  Once your home is under contract, you also have to deal directly with the Title Company and other parties to bring the deal to a close.  A Realtor handles those details for you.