As the Internet becomes more popular, people are doing a lot more things virtually. It seems like everyone is a travel agent these days with all of the apps and websites dedicated to travel deals, and trips to the store to buy clothes are becoming more and more scarce.
Is the Internet the right platform for selling your home? There are plenty of websites that claim to give you all of the information and tools you need to sell your home by yourself, but is it a good idea? Before you try the DIY approach to selling your home, there are a few things you should consider.
Can You Negotiate With An Agent?
Just because you decided not to use a real estate agent does not mean that you will be selling to someone who is not using an agent as well. There are still thousands of gainfully employed real estate agents out there, and they know a lot more about selling and buying a home than you do.
Are you prepared to have to give a real estate agent the information they need to make an offer to their client? Do you feel confident enough to negotiate with an agent who has years of experience in the real estate field? You may have chosen the DIY route for selling your home, but that does not mean that your prospective buyer feels like negotiating with you directly.
Are You Pricing Your Home Right?
There are many DIY real estate sales websites that give a lot of advice on how to price your home to sell yourself, but nothing beats real experience when it comes to setting a price. Are you sure that your home has the same appeal as other homes in the price range you have chosen? Do you understand how to set a price that leaves you and the buyer room for negotiation? An agent will have years of experience in pricing a home that you do not have, and that could wind up costing you a lot of money at closing.
What About The Legal Aspects?
In a real estate transaction, there are a lot of contracts to consider. A good real estate agent can walk you through every contract and help you to understand what you are getting into. Do you have a good real estate attorney? Do you know how to find one?
Once again, reading about real estate contracts and actually handling them are two different things. If there is one area where you can do without a real estate agent, it is in understanding the contracts you have to sign. Whether you use a real estate agent or not, it is important to have a good attorney on your side to make sure that your interests are protected.
It is true that selling your own home will save you thousands on real estate agent costs, but taking the DIY approach could also cost you thousands as well. Are you asking the right price? Are you signing the right contracts? Are you doing everything you need to do to make sure that the deal is done legally? When it comes to selling your home, nothing beats the combination of a good real estate agent and an experienced real estate attorney.