Although it is possible to sell your home without a real estate agent, you are setting yourself up for a long, difficult road. Having an agent early in the process can make your home sell faster and help you receive a fairer price.

Recommended Renovations

There are probably few homes, especially those that have been off the market for many years, that do not need, or cannot benefit from, renovations. A real estate agent can give you recommendations on worthwhile investments that can decrease the length of time your home is on the market and what will appeal to the current market. Sometimes these recommendations are general and likely applicable to all houses going on the market. Necessary repairs and a fresh coat of paint can work wonders in many homes. In other instances, changing the flooring, removing outdated wallpaper, or updating the kitchen can have a significant impact on the marketability of a home, especially older homes.

Staging

Many real estate agents know how to stage homes or might recommend a professional who specializes in staging homes. Staging a currently occupied home comes with its own challenges, such a striking a balance between showing a home that appears warm and inviting, but without looking obviously staged. If your home is currently bland, your agent might recommend decor updates that bring more color into the environment. For example, inexpensive throw pillows and framed pictures can add brightness to most any room. Homes that tend to be more cluttered will need to find a way to store unnecessary items to avoid appearing messy. In some cases, this can be done by hiding items in plain sight. Storage under the bed or under a seating area can disguise books, toys, and pantry items if outside storage is not an option or these items are still in use.

Negotiating

Beyond showcasing your home in the best possible light, your real estate agent is also your negotiator. Homeowners often have a false perception of the value of their home, especially if they have an emotional attachment to the home, so trying to sell without help can make the house stay on the market longer. An agent takes into consideration the assessed value of your home and any recent upgrades that might bolster the selling price. Other major variables that affect the selling price include changes in the neighborhood that can make the market value of homes increase or decrease and the current selling market. Unfortunately, when there are more homes on the market than there are buyers, you may have to drop your price significantly to find a buyer.

Going into the selling market alone is not a wise decision. Working with a real estate agent can give you the best possible results during the selling process.