Selling Your Home For Cash vs. Listing With an Agent
Listing your home is a pretty big deal, and no doubt you want to get it right. As a homeowner, you have a few options when it comes to selling, including selling directly to a buyer, listing it yourself (FSBO), and listing with a real estate agent. So which option works best for you?
Right now, San Diego is a seller’s market, and buyers are so eager that they’re using escalation clauses to get a leg up on the competition. That means you could end up getting much higher than market value if you decide to sell now, and selling your home for cash suddenly seems like an enticing option. So why would you choose to list your home with an agent overselling for cash?
We researched for you and outlined the pros and cons of your options as a homeowner:
Selling Your Home For Cash
Thinking you want to opt for convenience and sell your home for cash? There are tons of online services available to help you find the right buyer, but you’ll want to find a service you can trust.
Pros
You can sell your home on your terms. When you list your home for sale by owner, you can sell for what you want, when you want—no pressure from realtors to take a lower bid and no obligation to buyers to accommodate their needs. The ball is entirely in your court.
Convenience is at an all-time high. Once again, there’s no need to prepare for multiple showings and meet with buyers who aren’t serious.
Quick cash flow. If you own your home outright, you’ll get 100% of the sale price – no need to pay a percentage to a realtor. If you need cash, selling your home and downsizing is a great way to be more liquid.
Sales usually happen fast. When you sell for cash, you can arrange a quick closing date and write up a pretty straightforward contract. If a buyer can pay cash, they’ll want to lock down the deal quickly.
Cons
You could get an unfair deal. Imagine selling your home and discovering you could have tacked $25k onto your price? An experienced agent is going to help you determine the best listing price for your home and location. However, a trustworthy company that buys houses for cash should give you an honest property value estimate.
Cash listings usually go for less. Selling your home for cash leaves less room for negotiation. A buyer needs to have the cash on hand to make the sale, so they’ll usually enter the deal with a set price in mind. If you aren’t happy with that price, you’re likely to lose the sale. Despite that, if you’re looking at a handful of pre-sale renovations, you could still break even when selling for cash.
Listing Your Home With An Agent
Listing with a real estate agent is the more traditional route of selling a home. It’s a more hands-off approach that may or may not get you more money in the end.
Pros
An agent will handle the listing. Your agent will manage online listings on different home buying marketplaces and use their network of buyers and sellers to help you find the right buyer. No need to coordinate showings, conduct negotiations, or take calls about the listing. Your agent will present offers to you as they come.
You can probably negotiate a higher price. Since your buyer won’t have to pay cash, you can negotiate higher listing prices. However, buyers willing to negotiate will likely impose some pre-sale cost on your end.
Your agent has a long list of expertise. Agents can help you determine a reasonable listing price and make decisions regarding putting your house on the market. Plus, they are trained to help with any legal issues that may arise in the selling process.
Cons
Your agent takes a commission of around 5-6% of the total sale. Their rate means less money for you from the sale. You’re paying for your agent’s time and ability to get you the highest selling price possible.
The sale could take longer. Buyers see a cash sale and know they have to jump on it as quickly as possible. When you work with an agent, interested parties are more likely to negotiate and not buy as rapidly.
You might need to pay for repairs and home improvements. A real estate agent will want your home to be sale-ready, so you might need to pay for some repairs and improvements before listing the home.
A public listing may compromise your privacy. When you list a home with a real estate agent, the sale becomes general knowledge. Your address, personal information, and photos of your home will be accessible online. Some sellers feel that releasing this information could compromise their safety or trigger nosey neighbors. Selling directly to a cash buyer eliminates that risk.
Selling Directly To Blueprint Homes
With Blueprint, there is no need to hire a realtor, immediately saving you money upfront. You’ll avoid extra costs incited by commission pay-outs, pre-sale repairs, tenant controversy, or resolving title violations. You can sell your home as-is and get a fair cash deal.
Here’s how it works:
- Provide us with your information. We know it can be scary, but we wouldn’t ask if we couldn’t guarantee to keep your personal information completely confidential.
- We’ll ask you what you need from us. Whether you need help moving or evicting tenants, we’re prepared to help you with just about anything.
- We prepare your offer. We’ll design a fair cash offer and game plan based on your needs and the housing market. No appraisals or significant inspections are necessary.
- You’ll receive your cash offer. Take as much time as you need to decide. Our service will always be a phone call away.
Before you invest your time and money signing with a real estate agent, contact Blueprint for an initial inspection. You may find that closing quickly for cash is the route you want to take.
Blueprint is a fast, fair, and free cash buyer that will eliminate the headache of selling your home on the market. No matter your situation, we’re up for the challenge! Set up a consultation with Blueprint Homes, today!