Realtor vs. Discount Brokerage vs. FSBO
Last time I dropped by, I discussed the 5 questions you should ask yourself before selling your home. Hopefully you’re ready and committed, so the next question you should ask yourself is, “how will I go about doing so?” Do you hire a Realtor, a discount brokerage, or do it yourself to receive top dollars? Before I continue, let’s get one thing straight, in any profession there is a dividing line between a true professional and the average Joe, and real estate is no exception. With the understanding that I’m speaking of the former, here are my thoughts.
Hiring a discount brokerage or doing it yourself is almost one in the same thing in my mind. For $500-$1000 you can have your listing posted on MLS through a discount brokerage and then you’re left to sea, just like doing it yourself minus the whole MLS thing. Here’s why you shouldn’t:
Additional Legal Fees
You pay more than normal to your lawyer to review the contract and finalize your transaction as a lot of FSBO’s (For Sale By Owner) end up in legal disputes or litigation, which ends up costing the seller more in the long run. This is primarily caused by misrepresentation on the seller’s part about the property as there is no proper disclosure given and no obligation to give it. Whereas working with a Realtor, its part of their Code of Ethics and their licenses are on the line. This keeps the seller out of the courts and saves money.
List Too Low or Too High
Either the seller is uneducated about the real estate market and property value in their neighbourhood from lack of hiring a Realtor, or the seller lists too high (which is the more common scenario). We all think we live in castles, but we don’t. Taking the highest selling comparable on your street or neighbourhood without doing a proper analysis of a FEW comparables can be detrimental to the listing. A seller can forget to compare upgrades, lot size, type of home, parking, etc. when comparing the highest sold listing to theirs and listing at the same price or higher. That’s where the knowledge, experience and expertise of a neighbourhood Realtor come into play. We all know what happens to overpriced listings…..they don’t sell! And if they take longer to sell, you must now factor in the additional carrying costs associated with the time frame. Will it equal saving on a Realtor commission?
$1 Commission vs. 2.5%
A lot of times when a seller lists their property through a discount brokerage, the brokerage will offer a $1 commission on the MLS posting. Newsflash for Mr. and Mrs. Seller, no agent in their right mind will show that listing. Realtors work hard for their money and should be compensated accordingly. Without proper exposure, the seller will NOT receive the best terms, price and conditions. On the flip side, some sellers will even offer the Buyer agent their full 2.5% commission which blows my mind. Why a seller would not be willing to hire a Realtor with the sale of their biggest investment, but will properly compensate an agent that is working against them and in the best interest of the buyer is beyond me. A buyer agent is there to negotiate the seller down on price and ensure favourable conditions for the buyer. Why should a seller be willing to pay full price for this without someone having their back? I’m seriously confused!
The Know How
You don’t just hire a Realtor to put a sign on your front lawn and show up to the negotiation table when an offer comes in – there’s so much more than that. A Realtor will help you get your home ‘show-worthy’ by advising you how to stage and what is worth fixing and updating to yield the best return on your investment. They will market your property through various outlets such as virtual tours, professional photos, social media (blogging, Facebook, Twitter, etc.), databases of potential clients, farming areas where potential buyers might come from, connections in the real estate industry, and the list is endless! A good Realtor knows how to read people and their body language to weed out the serious from the non-serious buyers.
Bottom line, the decision is yours to make and you should choose accordingly. This is one of, if not the biggest investment of your life and you should consider all the facts and be fully informed before taking the leap! Keep in mind, if you`re willing to spend the extra dough on those high quality jeans that are super comfy and make your butt look great, then why not on something you`ve poured your life savings into. I think it`s worth it, don`t you?