5 Ways a Real Estate Agent Can Help When You’re Selling Your Home

Are you preparing to sell your home? If so, you may be wondering whether you should work with a real estate agent. While some sellers put their properties on the market by themselves, doing so can have its drawbacks. Selling a home is far from simple, so it’s important to be aware of the value that a professional can offer before making a decision either way.

Here are five of the key benefits that an agent brings to the table when they help you sell a home…

1) An eye for preparations

When it comes to attracting potential buyers, home preparations are key. From thoroughly decluttering and cleaning to staging with elegant furnishings and décor, an experienced agent can help at every step of the process. A true professional will also know what home hunters in your neighbourhood are looking for. Using this knowledge—along with their home-preparation skills and professional connections—they’ll transform your space into the dream home that local buyers are looking for.

2) Marketing know-how

Once your property is show-ready, it’s time to ensure that it’s seen by the right buyers. While most sellers can snap a few pictures and draft up a listing, it takes a knowledgeable real estate agent to draw home hunters in at a glance. With the right skills and connections, your agent will combine high-quality images and compelling copy to capture your living space in the perfect light. They’ll also go above and beyond to get the word out through relevant marketing channels—so you don’t have to.

3) Pricing expertise

Accurate pricing is one of the keys to selling your home quickly and profitably. As a general rule, sellers don’t have the in-depth market knowledge to find a price that will generate the right kind of interest. Overprice your home, and you may not receive any offers. Underprice it, and those that come in won’t reflect its actual value. A thorough agent will use recent listing and sold prices for similar homes to help you come up with just the right number.

4) Negotiation skills

Ultimately, it’s your decision whether you accept an offer, reject it, or delve into negotiations to achieve the best possible terms and conditions. If you opt for the latter, you’ll probably want to have a real estate professional advocating for your interests. An agent with negotiation expertise will have the in-depth market knowledge to justify your positions—and the ability to read the behaviour of buyers and their agents. All of this information can be used to your advantage when you’re at the negotiation table.

5) The ability to close with confidence

Closing can be the most stressful part of a home sale. While you’re just a few short steps away from moving onto a new chapter, there are still plenty of details that have to be taken care of. By coordinating closing activities between yourself, the buyers, and any professionals involved (including lenders and lawyers), an agent can help streamline the process. They can ensure that all loose ends and tied up and all documentation is filled out (though you should always have your legal counsel look over any paperwork related to our transaction).