It’s not surprising to think of finding an agent the second you learn you need or want to sell your home. However, just because this traditional wisdom makes a lot of sense, it’s actually not the right answer for every homeowner in Vancouver or Tri-Cites, WA. In fact, hiring an agent can be one of the more time consuming, costly, and uncertain ways to sell your home in Vancouver, Kennewick, Richland, or Pasco. So before you put pen to paper, take a moment to read over the following thoughts about what it’s really like to sell your home with an agent in Washington State.
Costs, Costs, and More Costs
There are no two ways around it, if you use an agent, you are going to pay for it. What many homeowners in Vancouver or Tri-Cities don’t realize, however, is that using an agent can end up costing you much more than you originally thought.
So the first thing you need to do in order to make an educated decision is to check out the MLS in Washington State and see what people are asking for on houses that are similar to yours and in an area like yours. Even more significant, are the amounts people actually closed on because the asking price is not always indicative of what the final amount someone is willing to pay.
Now, look at your Vancouver or Tri-Cities house and be honest about appraising it with these houses. Is it fixed up? Are there repairs that are needed? Does it need a facelift? The chances are, if you are thinking about selling it, there are issues with the home.
Ask yourself what you need to do just to get your house into the condition that you see the houses selling for the amount you’d like to target. Make a list. These are your pre-listing costs. And we’ve not even talked about agent fees.
Agent Fees and Costs
A good agent is going to work hard for what they are paid. So do not mistake their work for free. In fact, most deserve every penny they ask for. However, there are those out there who do not earn their money and you need to avoid them altogether by working with someone who has been referred to you.
Understand this, if you hire an agent, you are agreeing to pay them roughly 6% of your final closing price. And this is money you will owe them even if you end up making the sale to your cousin and didn’t even need the agent. You sign a contract, so you can’t back out.
What’s more, a good agent will have a bunch of fees and other costs for you to pay related to marketing, listing, administrative fees, photography, staging, and much more. Before you sign, make sure you have a good understanding of the other costs you can expect to pay besides the 6% at the end. And don’t assume that what went for one agent goes for another. Everyone is different. You’ll need to ask them all.
Let’s Not Forget Closing Costs…
As we already mentioned, you’ll owe your agent up to 6% when it comes to closing on the sale. What’s more, you’ll owe a variety of other fees and costs that will take up to about 2% of the final sale price. These include a lot of miscellaneous fees that can include but are not limited to taxes, title search fees, deed recording, appraisal fees, etc.
This is one of the biggest difference in costs between a direct sale and listing on the MLS with an agent. In a direct sale to a company like us, we cover all of the closing costs ourselves, so you don’t owe any of these fees.
Still on the Fence? Give Us A Call For a No Obligation Offer
When it comes down to it, the longer you wait to move on a house you want to sale, the more you are paying for bills in the interim while the risk and condition continue to worsen over time. There really is no good reason to wait once you’ve decided to sell.
Interested in learning what we’d offer for your Vancouver or Tri-Cities house? We pay cash up front, so we don’t need approval from a bank, and when decide to make an offer, we are ready to move quickly.
We can get you cash-in-hand in as little as 7 business days. Just fill out the form on the site or call us for a no-hassle, no-obligation offer.
Call 360-667-5424 for our Vancouver office, or 509-591-9196 for the Tri-Cities office.