There is a lot of discussion online lately about the necessity of realtors in the sale of homes. There is a lot of information being put out about the benefits of selling your home yourself, of course this info is usually put out by FSBO sites who are making money from listing homes on their FSBO site. However, most people are in the dark concerning what it is that a realtor actually does during the selling process. Hopefully this article will shed some light into this issue and help readers to realize the value of a realtor in selling a home.



One of the biggest misnomers about the FSBO sales process is that it saves huge amounts of money. Well in one sense this is true. However when taken into full consideration, it is merely a misdirection. Sure you may save some money in commissions, but money saved in commissions is very quickly spent in other areas that are usually covered by an agent's fees. The most important of the agent's responsibilities is one that simply cannot be equaled by a FSBO site no matter how big it is: advertising & research.

The research comes into play when pricing the home. Homes that are priced by their owners have a tendency to be somewhat overpriced, and for good reason. Selling a home is an emotional experience and it is hard to price a home according to it's financial worth as opposed to it's emotional worth which is so often the case in FSBO sales. Overpriced homes have more difficulty selling and tend to gain a stigma if they are listed for too long. Proper pricing is essential to be competitive in today's market. A realtor can guide sellers to a competitive price that will ensure their home has the best chance to sell quickly and without incident.

Marketing is the other main advantage to using a realtor. In today's high-tech market homes are typically seen online first. The place they are most likely to be seen? On a properly optimized and designed realtor site. IN addition to the internet, realtors employ a number of other advertising mediums including newspapers, flyers, signs and welcoming/info packages. Of course the final asset is the fact that realtor are home selling experts. They have a wealth of experience and information designed to specifically streamline the sales process. So you do the math, you can sell your home yourself; spending hours and hours of your precious time and money or you can use the skills of a realtor and relax and prepare for your imminent move.