Do you have the time, experience, sources of information, and contacts to do the job yourself? Would it go as smooth as it could? Would it give you more personal time? Would you obtain a higher price? Here are just a few areas in which a professional real estate agent earns his or her commission:

Pricing Considerations
A professional’s insight in determining a pricing strategy for your property can keep you from missing an opportunity by undervaluing or wasting time by overpricing. Experience evaluating competing properties and market trends is a first ingredient for the best transaction experience.

Marketing Expertise

•  Preparation. Your agent is skilled in recommending repairs or cosmetic work that have proven to minimize time on market and maximize both prospect interest and sales price.

•  Exposure to the public. Your agent will know best how to use flyers, open house days, and especially mailing to and meeting with ex-clients and other qualified buyers. The National Association of REALTORS® studies show that 82% of real estate sales are the result not of advertising, but of agent contacts through previous clients, referrals, friends and family, and personal contacts, including...

•  Exposure to other industry professionals. Your agent will utilize a Multiple Listing Service or other cooperative marketing networks. Once your property is listed, it is statistically likely the buyer will be the client of another agent associated with yours.

•  Advertising: media and frequency. It takes experience to know what works in advertising. Ads generate phone calls to the real estate office but statistically have minimum effectiveness selling a specific property. Overexposure of a property in any media may give a buyer the impression the property is distressed or the seller is desperate.

Security
Working with a real estate agent ensures showings will be supervised. You can instruct unchaperoned buyers to call your agent for an appointment so they can be prescreened, you will be safe, and you can do your final polish before the showing.

Negotiating

•  Middleperson. Most buyers prefer to negotiate with someone they perceive as unbiased, not emotional, and professionally trained. They are more likely to express objections to agents with the hope of resolution, when they otherwise might move on to another property rather than talking to you directly.

•  Objectivity. Evaluate proposals privately without compromising your marketing position.

Monitoring, Renegotiating and Closing or Settling

•  Overwhelming volume of steps. The process of appraisals, inspections, and financing involves a lot of possible pitfalls. There are many required legal forms and processes.

•  Experience reading and following escrow instructions, Instructions must be clear and complete. Your agent is the best person to objectively help you communicate these issues and move the transaction to closing (or settlement).

•  Inspectors and other professionals. Your agent can meet specialists and negotiate regarding repairs needed to complete your contract. Industry contacts provide resources for work persons in many areas with knowledge as to their historical skill and reliability.