Home Sellers Guide
Work With an Experienced Agent
Now that you know for sure you're ready to sell, your next step is to find an excellent real estate agent. Wait a sec! Couldn’t you save money by skipping the agent and selling the house by yourself? It’s true that selling solo, or doing For Sale by Owner (FSBO—as it’s known in the real estate biz), means you don’t have to pay an agent commission. But trust us—you’re going to want an agent.
Why Not Sell Your Home by Yourself?
There are three heavy risks you could face if you choose the FSBO route and try to sell your home without an agent:
- Lower Profit: Every year, data shows how FSBO homes sell for way less money than agent-assisted homes.1 Some might scoff at this fact thinking you lose that extra profit to agent commissions. Not true. Really good agents know how to help you sell your home for more money than you could selling solo—even after you factor in the agent commission! Plus, selling FSBO doesn’t guarantee that you won’t end up paying for the buyer’s agent commission.
- Limited Exposure: If you really want to sell your home, you need buyers—and lots of them! An experienced real estate agent exposes your home to thousands of potential buyers. They have exclusive access to a large network of other agents who are working with active buyers—that’s better than sitting around waiting for someone to find your online post.
- Unintentional Mishaps: We’re all about being an independent go-getter. But your home is your largest asset. Even small mistakes can cost you big. Let’s face it. An experienced agent probably sold more homes last week than you’ve sold in a lifetime. They’ve seen everything and can navigate through pitfalls and paperwork you never saw coming. That kind of expertise is worth its weight in gold.
The downside to FSBO is no secret to sellers. In fact, every year only a very small percentage of sellers choose to sell solo.2 Don’t make that mistake.
Every year a very small percentage of sellers choose to sell solo. Don’t make that mistake.
How to Find the Right Agent
It’s easy to see that working with a real estate agent is the best way to sell your home. But how do you find an agent you can trust? It may be tempting to hire the first agent you talk to or someone you already know—even if they just got their real estate license. But you’ll be paying your agent thousands of dollars to get your home sold. Don’t give that kind of dough to just anyone! Interview multiple agents before you decide which one is worth the money.
Ask the Right Questions
To find the right agent, you need to ask the right questions. To do this, download our Real Estate Agent Interview Worksheet. This simple tool gives you the best questions to ask and makes it easy to compare notes and select the agent who’s right for you.
Look for Excellence
When interviewing real estate agents, make sure the one you choose can be described with these characteristics:
- Communicator: Your first contact with an agent will tell you a lot. An agent who wants your business will return your call immediately—possibly within minutes. Waiting days to hear back? That’s a clear sign that excellent service isn’t a priority.
- Coach: Selling a home may be complex, but that’s no reason to shut off your brain while your agent handles all of the decisions. It’s your money on the line! The right agent takes time to explain the process in plain English so you can make an informed decision at every step.
- Confidence booster: An agent should be able to back up any recommendation with real-life data. If your agent tries to bully you into following their advice or gives in to all of your demands, that’s when you say, “Bye-bye.”
- Closer: Your agent should be the top closer in your market. For perspective, the average real estate agent closes several to a dozen or so home transactions each year.3 But you don’t want average. You want an agent who closes at least 35 homes a year—or more than 90% of the agents in their area.
Find Your Agent Now
You don’t have to search hard to find agents who demonstrate the characteristics listed here. We already found them for you! Our team handpicks agents around the country who hold to our high standard for excellence—that’s why we call them RamseyTrusted. For a fast and easy way to get connected with these agents, try our free Endorsed Local Providers (ELP) program.
