June 24, 2020 Do you need to sell your house in Southern California? In our latest post, we offer 5 things homeowners should know about working with a real estate agent to help sell your house. When it’s time to sell your house in Southern California, your first instinct may be to call up a local real estate agent to quickly get your house up on the MLS. While this works for some homeowners, there are a few things you should know before hiring a Southern California real estate agent to help you. The Costs Can Be High If you decide to sell your house with a Southern California real estate agent, make sure that you are aware of all of the costs that typically go into a successful listing. Aside from the thousands that will be deducted from your offer when the house sells, you will have a number of expenses to deal with before your house even hits the market. To start with, you’ll need to make some basic repairs and have the house professionally cleaned. You could be faced with marketing costs such as photography and staging that isn’t covered in the scope of your listing agreement. Some homeowners will even have an inspection done on their own so they know what to expect when their potential buyers have one done. Add all of this to your holding costs, and you’ll see how a simple listing can quickly turn into bills costing thousands. It May Take Awhile While this varies from neighborhood to neighborhood and city to city, it will typically take much longer for a traditional sale to be completed as opposed to a direct sale. In fact, when looking at nationwide statistics, houses will take over two months to get an offer on average. While your house is listed, you will still have to pay taxes, maintenance, your mortgage, utilities, and insurance. Not to mention, you will have no idea how long the sale can take, giving you zero ability to plan ahead. Don’t miss out on your dream property because your house is caught up in a listing agreement that doesn’t make sense. Not All Agents Are The Same While some agents are there to help and provide genuine service to their clients, there are others who are simply after that commission check. They will encourage you to make expensive upgrades to sell the house faster, they will encourage you to take less then it’s worth just so they are able to cash in before your agreement expires. If you decide to list your house with a real estate agent in Southern California make sure it is someone who comes highly referred and that you are certain you can trust. Your House May Not Sell Just because you list your house and ask for a certain amount, does not mean that you will get it. Many sellers get frustrated when they find themselves spending money t list their homes for sale, only to hear crickets. Just because you fix things up and spend money making the house look as good as possible, does not ensure you will get an offer. If you decide to list and spend money getting your house ready for the MLS, make sure that you won’t be devastated if you do not see the returns you are after. When working with a real estate agent in Southern California, there is no guarantee if or when you will receive an offer. And if you do get an offer, they may try to negotiate for a lower price. You Have Other Options The good news is that hiring a real estate agent in Southern California is not the only way to sell your house. For certain houses and situations, investing money into the property before selling it can be a huge waste. Factor in the commissions, holding costs, and closing expenses, and you could be looking at thousands of dollars down the drain. Another approach is to sell your house to a direct buyer such as Stars and Stripes Real Estate. Working with a direct buyer will allow you to sell your house in just a few short days without any fees deducted from the offer or money spent out of pocket. You’ll know exactly what to expect and when the closing will take place. If you need to sell your house in Southern California, be sure that you are aware of all of your available options and how they will affect you. People aren’t always aware of the costs, time, and frustrations a listing can entail. Homeowners have been known to brush off the idea of a direct sale because of the lower prices associated with them. However, once you factor in the time, money, and energy that goes into listing your Southern California house, you will see that the selling methods will produce similar results. We encourage you to run the numbers for your property so you can choose the option that makes the most sense. Please reach out to us if you have any questions about what we do and how we can help you sell your house fast in Southern California! Working with a real estate agent in Southern California may not be the answer for you! Explore your options by sending us a message or giving us a call today! (844) 932-8943.