Is a real-estate agent needed to sell my house?

The question that invariably comes to everyone’s mind, especially when selling real-estate, is that do I need to go through a real-estate agent or can I sell the property on my own? The easiest way is to answer this question with an answer.

Do you need to hire a mechanic to change the radiator in your car?

Maybe you say yes, I need a mechanic because I have no idea how to change a radiator in my car. My response to you would be, there are many things in selling a property that you don’t know either. The difference is that, when considering changing your car radiator, you can physically look at the problem and see the complexity of the problem, but when selling a property, you cannot physically see the complexity of the problem. In changing the radiator in your car, you are stuck at the first step which is which screws I need to open. In selling your property you might not feel you are stuck. You think the first step is putting a “For Sale By Owner” sign on your windows or in front of your property. But this in comparison to the changing radiator analogy is like picking up the screw driver. Ok, you picked the screw driver and then you start looking for the screws or the clamps you need to take off. In selling your property you post the sign then you wait and wait and wait. Eventually someone will call and ask you questions about your property. Are you sure about your rights as the seller, and the rights of the buyer to know and to divulge information about the property?

Are you sure that the person that is interested in buying your property is not wasting your time and is not looking to get a feel of the prices for the type of property to look for, later when he or she has the money?

What if the buyer of your property needs financing and starts asking you questions regarding financing your property. What about the contract and the specific dates that certain tasks need to be performed contractually?

What about the moneys involved? Who is holding them and in what situations moneys can be transferred?

There are many parts to selling a property that putting up a sign and finding a buyer do not even compare to them in terms of complexity.

So, the bottom line is, you have made a certain amount of investment in your property, why not protect it buy hiring a professional that has done that for a living to help you.

Yes, you can read and watch videos to learn how to sell a real-estate property, but if you are not planning to do that for a living, my suggestion, don’t waste your time.