You want to sell your home, but you’re not too sure you need a real estate agent. What do they do, anyway? Can’t you just sell your house without the services of someone else getting in the way?
Plus, you want to keep all of the sales price, instead of having to pay commissions to someone else. These agents are basically an unnecessary middle-man, aren’t they? Not so fast. There might actually be a legit need for a listing agent.
What A Full-Service Agent Does
A full-service real estate agent is an individual that helps you buy or sell your home on the secondary real estate market. These agents are responsible for a whole host of services that you would otherwise have to do yourself. And, while many people believe that a real estate agent’s job isn’t all that hard, the reality is that it is a profession. It takes years of skill and education to do a good job at it.
Agents typically make a fraction of the total commission made on a house. Sometimes, this amounts to 50 percent of the net commission. A listing agent’s salary may range from 20 to 30 percent of one-half the full commission though. But, they do typically offer more service than a discount broker, and they’re unwilling to compromise on their service or prices.
Good examples of full-service agents can be found online via Agent Harvest.
The MLS
The MLS is a sort of central repository for home listings. Most of the time, DIY sellers (sellers that don’t use a real estate agent) don’t really know how to make full use of the system, omit photographs thinking people will check out their home on the strength of the description, and make other small mistakes. Yet, these small mistakes almost always add up to a big mistake – and that mistake costs them the sale.
The professional agents in the real estate industry spend a considerable amount of time sorting through photos to select homes with the most light, the best angles, and the sharpest contrast or color. These are the houses that agents want to show potential buyers.
Photos are often cropped and re-sized to accentuate positive features while sometimes omitting negative features. The best photos artfully accentuate the best features without being deceptive about the home’s lesser qualities. A full-service agent knows how to both set up the shot for your home, and how to get buyers to respond.
Professional Signage
Full-service agents make use of professional signage that has the main office number, the agent’s own cell phone number a website, and virtual tour links or other specific information about the home. That’s something that would take a lot of time to put together if you tried to do it yourself. It’s a lot of “back-end” service that’s not immediately apparent.
Marketing Materials
Aside from the sign out front, a full-service agent will also use professional marketing materials. They want to project quality and professionalism. That usually means full-color flyers and color direct mail pieces – something that would be very expensive to do on your own.
Negotiations
Full-service agents are expert negotiators. This is probably one of the greatest reasons to use one. Even if you’re a good salesperson, you’re probably not an expert in real estate law and contracts. Full-service agents are. That alone can yield you several thousand dollars more for your home, even after all of the commissions are paid.
Arthur Young has been buying and selling property for several years. With his experience and insight, he often writes about how to successfully navigate the real estate market.
