Agent? Sell on your own? Sell to an investor? These are the big questions that every seller asks themselves first. In this blog post, we’ll share our thoughts on the question, Should you list with an agent, sell FSBO, or sell to an investor?
Thinking about selling your house? You might be exploring your options and wondering, Should you list with an agent, sell FSBO, or sell to an investor? The good news is, you can get a great answer right here and be on the path to selling your house very quickly.
Should You List With An Agent?
Selling to an agent gives you a few advantages:
First, it’s very hands-off so you can go about your regular life and just sign papers or talk to your agent while they do all the legwork.
Second, you can money and time versus selling FSBO (see the next point) because you won’t have to market your property or pay for marketing materials.
Third, an agent often has a list of potential buyers (or access to a list) so they can quickly find people to buy for you quickly.
Fourth, agents have many tricks up their sleeve to help you sell – from special signs to targeted advertising, etc.
Fifth, you don’t have to negotiate with any potential buyers, since many people do not like the negotiation process.
Sixth, you don’t have to be an expert at the contracts and agreements involved in the house-selling process. Your real estate agent is the expert and they’ll walk you through what you need to know but you don’t have to be the expert.
Seventh, you don’t have to be an expert in the laws of selling a house, financing, etc., which can be quite complicated. The agent will either take care of that for you or guide you appropriately.
Eighth, you don’t have to worry about knowing the right steps to take or when to take them. The agent already knows what you need to do and they’ll just tell you when you need to do it!
*Selling with an agent is perfect for those that have plenty of time to sell, has a nice house with little to no repairs needed, and does not want to deal with the negotiations, buyer’s bank requirements and processes, title company, etc…
Or, Sell FSBO?
FSBO means “For Sale By Owner” and it means that you sell on the market (the same place an agent would sell) but you don’t use an agent; you represent yourself.
The biggest advantages to selling this way is that you can name your own price, decide who to sell to, negotiate on your own behalf (if you like to do that), and not have to pay the real estate agent’s commission at the end.
*Selling FSBO is great for those that have houses that fit the above example (selling with an agent), but believe their house will sell very easily and quickly, therefore decide to sell themselves and save the real estate commission. You may have experience with contracts and the selling process, or at least be comfortable with it.
Don’t Forget – You Can Sell To An Investor
For those who want to sell fast and not pay any fees, or who may have a house in “as-is” condition that they don’t want to pay to fix and clean first, you might want to sell to an investor or professional house buyer (which is what we do here at Upward House Buyers LLC.)
*If you have a property that needs work, and do not want to spend time, energy, or money on it to get it in ‘sellable’ condition, then this is your best option. You will not make the most from this type of sale, but it should be the easiest possible way. Our company takes pride in making our purchases the easiest possible sale that it can be for our sellers.
Summary
Thinking about selling your house? It’s smart to be exploring your options and wondering, Should you list with an agent, sell FSBO, or sell to an investor? The good news is, you can get a great answer right here and be on the path to selling your house very quickly.