Louisville, Kentucky, is a challenging real estate market. With people constantly moving in and out of the area, houses are always for sale. That means when you go to sell your house, you will have competition from other sellers with similar homes and markets. For this reason, most home sellers turn to a real estate agent to sell their house.
There are several benefits to hiring a realtor – professional advice, negotiation skills, and market knowledge. Plus, you can hand over most of the responsibilities to the realtor, who will guide you through the selling process. However, is it always necessary to hire a realtor? Does your situation call for a better alternative? Below we look at the pros and cons of hiring a realtor and what other options you may have.
What Does a Realtor Do?
The key role of a realtor is to sell your house. However, it’s now that simple. What you really want is a realtor who can sell your house fast for a favorable asking price. Furthermore, you want the realtor to save you as much money in selling costs as possible. When these stars align, a realtor adds significant value to a home sale. Plus, they save you a lot of time and energy that you would have spent selling your house on your own.
Digging deeper, some of the core tasks that a realtor undertakes include
- Lists your house on MLS sites and other marketing platforms
- Performs a comparative marketing analysis to assess your house’s value
- Schedules inspections and appraisals
- Makes recommendations on how to improve your house’s sellability
- Shows your house and meets with potential buyers
- Negotiates the terms of the sale with buyers
- Sits in during the closing of the sale
Granted, this is just a skeleton list of what realtors do to sell a house. While it is true that realtors are helpful, there may be some downsides to hiring a realtor to sell your house.
Are There Downsides to Hiring a Realtor?
While there are many pros to hiring a realtor to sell your house, there are also a few cons.
High Commissions
Most realtors earn their money exclusively from the commission. They take a cut of the house’s sale price off the top, leaving you with the rest. How much do they take? A realtor typically makes a six percent commission from the sale. That doesn’t seem like much until you do the math. Realtors can make thousands of dollars in commissions from the sale of one house.
No Guarantees
The most talented and consistently successful realtor in Kentucky cannot guarantee the sale of your house. Numerous factors determine when, if, and how much you sell your house for. On average, it takes 60 to 90 days to sell a house in today’s market. That doesn’t include the time you spend making repairs and close a sale. It could take months.
Realtors Are Not Your Friends
That’s a bold but true statement. There are plenty of realtors who are honest, hard-working and love their clients. But the end game for realtors is to make a living and a profit from the sale. Therefore, there is no assurance that the realtor selling your home is always working on your behalf. Some realtors may make deals under the table at your expense just to land the deal. After all, business is business.
You May Not Need a Realtor
Not every seller’s situation requires the services of a realtor. Some home sellers attempt a For Sale by Owner (FSBO), choosing to sell their house on their own. Others may go through a broker. Still, others may rent their house out. We find that more homeowners today choose to sell their house as-is for cash directly to a company that buys houses.
What is the Best Alternative to a Traditional Sale?
If you do not want to hire a realtor to sell your house, you can sell your house as-is for cash directly to a buyer. We Buy Real Estate works with homeowners in Louisville, Kentucky, to sell their houses off the market. We offer a simple three-step plan for unloading your property quickly.
Step 1: Contact Us
Before you contact a real estate agent, call us first. You can schedule a quick walkthrough of your property whenever it is convenient for you. There is no obligation or pressure to sell. We can look at the property and decide if we want to buy it. If so, we will make an offer.
Step 2: Get a Fair Cash Offer
If we like what we see, we’ll make a fast cash offer within 24 to 48 hours. You don’t have to wait for several days to land a deal. We make a fair offer that is just below your house’s current real estate market value. Once we make an offer, we never change it.
Step 3: You Get Paid
If you accept our offer, we schedule a closing date that is convenient for you. We show up, sign the paperwork, and pay all closing costs. You can close in as little as seven days. Working with us is easier than selling your house in the traditional way.
Contact We Buy Real Estate to Sell Your House Fast
You don’t have to wait to unload your property. If you need to sell your house fast in Kentucky, contact We Buy Real Estate. We can look at your property, make an offer, and close in as little as seven days. Call 502-458-2722 and get a fair cash offer.