Do you need to sell your house in Atlanta, Georgia? In our latest post, we offer 5 things homeowners should know about working with a real estate agent when you are considering selling your house.
When it’s time to sell your house in Atlanta, your first instinct may be to call up a local real estate agent to quickly get your house up on the MLS. While this works for many homeowners, there are a few things to consider before hiring a real estate agent to help sell your house.
Keep reading below and check out our free resource guide that goes into more detail about the costs of selling to an investor vs. listing with an agent.
1. Repairs and Commission Costs
If you decide to sell your house with a real estate agent, make sure that you are aware of all the costs that typically go into a successful listing. Aside from the 3-6% commission that you will pay when your house sells, there are a number of other expenses to consider before your house even hits the market.
To start, you’ll likely need to make some repairs and have the house professionally cleaned. You could also have to pay for photography and staging that isn’t covered in the scope of your listing agreement.
Although not required, some homeowners will even have an inspection done on their own so they know what to expect when their potential buyers do the same.
2. Holding Costs While You Wait
While this varies from neighborhood to neighborhood and city to city, it will typically take much longer for a traditional sale through an agent compared to a direct sale to an investor. In fact, when looking at nationwide statistics, houses can take over two months to get an offer on average.
While your house is listed, you will still have to pay your mortgage, taxes, maintenance, utilities, and insurance (aka “holding costs“). Not to mention, you will have no idea how long the sale will take to finalize, giving you little ability to plan ahead.
Most buyers on the retail side will take out a loan to purchase your home, and the lender’s underwriting process to approve the loan can take weeks. And if the lender doesn’t approve the loan, you’re back to square one.
3. Not All Agents Are The Same
There are a lot of awesome real estate agents in Atlanta, but not all are created equal. As in any industry, the best agents make a majority of the sales, so take your time to research the top agents in your area before listing your house. It will save you a lot of time, energy, frustration, and money if you find a good agent before listing your home.
We work with top agents here at Homeowner Help Today, so let us know if you want us to help!
4. Your House May Not Sell
Just because you list your house and ask for a fair price doesn’t mean that you will have buyers coming out in droves. You may get frustrated if you find yourself spending money to list your home, hold open houses, and leave your home to drive around the block every time there is a showing only to receive no offers.
If you do get offers, be prepared for potential buyers to negotiate on the price. As we begin to move out of the seller’s market, buyers will increasingly have more negotiating power on the price.
5. You Have Other Options
The good news is that hiring a real estate agent in Atlanta is not the only way to sell your house. For certain houses and situations, investing money into the property before selling it can be a hassle and a huge waste of time and money. Factor in the commissions, holding costs, and closing costs, and you could be spending thousands of dollars unnecessarily.
Another approach is to sell your house to an investor like us here at Homeowner Help Today. Working with a buyer like us will allow you to sell your house in just a few short days to weeks without any of those costs.
If you need to sell your house in Atlanta, be sure that you are aware of all the available options and how they will affect you. Homeowners aren’t always aware of the costs, time, and frustrations a listing can entail.
Selling to a Real Estate Investor
Homeowners have been known to brush off the idea of a direct sale to an investor because they have heard that they will have to sell at a rock-bottom price. But once you factor in the time, money, and energy that goes into listing your house with an agent, you may find that working with a company like us to be the best solution for your situation. Especially if you have a vacant or run-down house that needs a lot of love.
We can help you to run the numbers for your property so you can choose the option that makes the most sense. If you have a pretty house that doesn’t need a lot of repairs, then working with an agent can get you top dollar. But if you are low on cash, and need to sell your house fast, then reach out to us and we’ll be happy to help!