The Cost of Selling without a REALTOR®:
$31,800
Real estate professionals do more for sellers than make the
transaction easier. They make them money. In fact, the average seller who
uses a real estate professional makes 16 percent more on the sale of their
home than do sellers who go it alone. That’s an average of $31,800 per home. That’s one reason the level of unrepresented sellers has
declined steadily in recent years. Despite five consecutive record-breaking
years for home sales from 2001 through 2005, the level of unrepresented
sellers has dropped from a cyclical peak of 18 percent of the market in 1997
to a record low of 13 percent in 2005, according to the 2005
National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. Real estate professionals assist both sellers and buyers with
the services necessary for a successful real estate transaction, especially
pricing and marketing. Real estate pros can help price the property
accurately and market it successfully using the variety of tools available
today -- Internet, print, word of mouth and more. REALTORS® know best how to
prepare a home and maximize value, provide broader exposure to the market and
are more likely to generate multiple bids than a seller on the own. In addition, REALTORS® are experts in attracting qualified
buyers. A professional can show a home more objectively than can a seller who
may be emotionally attached to the home, and who might become unnerved by
prospective buyers’ critical comments. The real estate pro also checks the
financial capability and bona fides of buyers before allowing them onto a
seller’s property. |