In today’s low-inventory market most listings sell in just a few days for more than asking price.
If homes sell in no time why should you hire a Realtor and pay 6% in commissions?
The thought of saving money by cutting out the Realtor is tempting. However, there’s more to selling a house than getting an offer.
Let me share a success story to prove the value of a professional agent.
Last week we sold my listing at Carlow Court at a record price for this Dublin neighborhood.
My clients were very pleased when they realized that they made $60,000 more than originally anticipated.
Here’s how I made it happen:
Negotiation Skills and Experience Yield Top Dollar
During our initial listing consultation last fall I recommended a few high impact upgrades to their home. The most effective low cost / high value improvements made their home very attractive to potential buyers.
I also suggested to wait until February. With rapidly rising home values delaying the listing by a few months paid off. It easily added $30,000 to their bottom line.
My staging consultant rearranged furniture and artwork before we listed the house in February. I hired a professional photographer and created a 3D virtual walkthrough of the house.
I paid for advertising and promoted the listing all over the Internet.
Showing requests poured in as soon as the listing was on the MLS.
We finished with 57 showings in 4 days and received 7 offers above list price.
How Do You Pick the Best Offer?
The highest offer is not always the best. The type of financing, a waiver of remedies, and cash to cover a short appraisal are important factors.
Three of our seven offers were for $25,000 above list price. So, I continued to negotiate for my seller until one of the buyers agreed to increase their offer by another $5,000.
If you want to find out why I was certain that this buyer would increase their offer, give me a call and I’ll explain.
At the closing my clients earned $60,000 more than they expected last fall.
The Lie of Commission Discounters
You may run across Realtors who offer to discount their commissions. Some claim they will sell your home for only 1% commission.
This is a lie.
Discount agents reduce the listing commission from 3% to 1%. However, you still have to pay an additional 3% for the agent representing the buyer.
This means you may save 2% of the purchase price.
But will you really get full service?
Imagine your boss would cut your salary by 67% and tell you to work the same hours. Would you do it? Could you even afford to do it and feed your family?
The same is true for the listing agent who offers 1%. They have to cut corners somewhere. They can’t afford to hire a professional photographer or do a virtual 3D scan. Both are critical for marketing your listing.
They don’t have enough money to advertise the listing, to send postcards to the neighborhood, or even to print flyers. They don’t take the time to communicate and negotiate on your behalf.
Whenever one of my buyers made an offer on a property listed by a 1% agent, the transaction was a disaster due to a lack of timely communication and experience of the discount agent.
Experience Matters When You List Your House
Would you rather save $7,500 (2% of the list price) or make an extra $60,000 when you sell your house?
A professional, full time agent is worth many times the commissions you pay, while a discounter can become your worst nightmare.
Call or Text me Today at (614) 975-9650 to discuss the best strategy to list your house for top dollar!