Objective broker can get home sold at right price
Q. Dear Rick: I’m hoping to sell my condo this spring. I’d like to sell it myself, without a broker, but a lot of people I speak to say that’s a bad idea. Is it? — Irene from Bedford.
A. In a word, yes! The clear benefit to not using a broker is that if you sell the condo yourself, you won’t have to pay the 5 percent or 6 percent brokerage fee that most brokers charge.
And though you may save money by making the sale yourself, it’s almost always a better idea to hire an experienced real estate broker because selling a home quickly and at the best price possible requires a lot of objectivity, patience and time.
A broker will also help you compare your house to other homes in the area, which will help you put the right price tag on your condo. Real estate experts will tell you that properly pricing your home from the outset is the most important thing you can do if you’re hoping to sell quickly and at the highest possible price.
An experienced broker will be able to help you develop a marketing strategy, organize open houses, take out ads online and in the local paper, determine whether a prospective buyer can actually afford to buy your house and schedule inspections. In addition to all that, they can also ensure that all necessary contracts are signed before you agree to the sale.
And no matter how confident you are in your ability to do all of those things, pulling the sale together likely requires far more time than you’re willing to invest.
So, unless you’re selling to a family member, I strongly recommend hiring a good broker. The decision will probably get your condo sold at a significantly higher price than you’d be able to by going it alone, which would offset any worries you may have about a brokerage fee. Best of luck.