Should you sell your home yourself?

If you’re thinking about selling your home without the help of a real estate agent, you should know what to expect. Here are six tasks you’ll need to take care of.

1. Pricing the house
Figuring out the asking price requires a lot of work. You’ll need to research what similar properties in the area sell for. You should also have someone appraise the home to make sure you’re not over- or under-valuing it.

2. Marketing the property
Realtors often have marketing departments, but you don’t. You’ll have to pay fees to list your property on real estate websites and you’ll probably have to go the extra mile to stand out among properties promoted by professionals.

3. Showing the home
Potential buyers are unlikely to want to visit only at times that are convenient for you. In some cases, they may lose interest if you can’t accommodate them.

4. Vetting buyers
You’ll need to vet every single potential buyer, something that realtors normally handle. Otherwise, you might spend a lot of time with someone only to realize that they can’t actually afford the property.

5. Taking calls
If you do manage to find a buyer, be prepared to field frequent calls. They might want to stop by to measure something or show the place to a relative. You may not feel like you can refuse, for fear that they might pull out of the deal.

6. Managing the paperwork
Real estate professionals are familiar with the paperwork needed when selling a home. Unless you’re a seasoned expert yourself, you run the risk of making a mistake that could cost you big.

The bottom line is that, in most cases, you’ll save money and a lot of hassle by working with a realtor.