Once the big decision to sell your home has been made, the next step is deciding how to sell. When making this decision, you must understand all the costs involved, some of which the agent may be unable to provide. We will outline five costs homeowners face when selling with a USA real estate agent.
When selling with a USA real estate agent, real estate agent commissions are among homeowners’ highest costs. These commissions are based on a percentage of the sale price of your house. Typically, you will find a commission of at least 3% per side, so if you sell your home for $400,000, you would have to pay $24,000 out of your proceeds in commissions alone, along with the traditional seller’s closing fees and other possible transaction fees to the closing agent and the real estate agents office. Along with the commission are the conventional seller’s closing fees. You may also owe the closing agent and the real estate agent’s office transaction fees.
Professional appraisers and home inspector fees are among the traditional costs homeowners face when selling with a USA real estate agent. When you use a real estate agent, the first step in approving a mortgage is the property appraising for enough to meet the loan terms the buyers have qualified for. Additionally, the buyer’s agent will almost always order an inspection of the property. There may also be fees for the closing agent handling the transaction and the closing costs you are already responsible for.
Depending on the age of your home and the state of maintenance the property is in, it may be wise to have your inspection performed before listing. By being prepared ahead of time, a professional can help you understand what you may face financially in a traditional real estate transaction. If the inspector should find something wrong with the property structure, or other issues with the property that need repairs, they may require you to fix it out of pocket before the property closes. The potential costs can run into the thousands and become yet another expense homeowners face when selling with a USA real estate agent, possibly even more than the commission you’ll pay to the real estate agent.
When selling with a USA real estate agent, advertising can be a rather expensive aspect of homeowners’ costs. Listings typically include high-quality professional photography so that the listing stands out among the competitors on the top internet pages for home searches, including the MLS. When working with top producers, you can expect staging to be another item you will be responsible for within the advertising budget. Be confident you carefully review this section of the listing agreement with the agent and ask questions about anything that isn’t set with specific limits. Their version of updating the property and what you have agreed to perform to meet their standards, with an unlimited budget, may need to meet the realities of your checkbook.
Holding onto one property when circumstances force you to move into another means you will be responsible for carrying both expenses indefinitely. Many sellers find their homes stagnating on the market. At the same time, they sink under their monthly bills, including those to do the smaller maintenance tasks or take on the additional burdens on their time, bearing the expense of traveling between the two properties to perform the tasks. Sadly, while real estate agents are busy laying out all the plans to sell your house, the one thing they cannot guarantee is that your property will sell. This can lead to your home painfully lingering on the marketplace, which becomes another cost homeowners face when selling with a USA real estate agent. Additionally, traditional house sales contracts usually include the following:
Last but not least, your buyer may fail to qualify in the end, leading to starting your listing again and an even more extended period on the market.
Why spend a fortune when there is no guarantee an agent will sell your property? Work with USA Cash Offer and avoid all homeowners’ expenses when dealing with a USA real estate agent. By selling directly to USA Cash Offer, you will not need to worry about commissions, broker fees, paying other professionals, repairs, or advertising!
We buy houses all over the USA, including the following:
At USA Cash Offer, we are happy to discuss these and other reasons why it is better to sell your house directly. Please send us a message or give us a call today at (800) 219-0874.
