Evan Gresham, Springfield Mo, Realtor

Here is a blog from our coaching broker Chris Byrant explaining 5 reasons to list with a Realtor, most people do not understand the value and legality brought with selling their homes!

1. KNOWLEDGE. While the average homeowner buys or sells a home once every five years, realtors help their clients navigate the buying and selling process every single day—it's their job! A realtor’s experience and knowledge of the real estate transaction gives you an enormous amount of confidence that you're making the best possible decisions with your home. From helping you prepare and price your home, to negotiating terms, to managing all the moving pieces of the contract that need to come together before closing, the knowledge an agent brings to the transaction is one of the most valuable aspects of having a realtor by your side.

2. NETWORK. Realtors have a vast network of relationships with other realtors, referral partners, relocation companies, lenders, and trusted vendors. This gives you access to more serious A-list buyers who have already been prequalified to purchase a home. The National Association of REALTORS® published a report stating that the typical for sale by owner sold for $260,000, compared to an eyebrow-raising $318,000 for homes listed with a realtor. Make no mistake, the network of relationships that a realtor brings to your transaction is a game-changer that has the potential to put a lot more money in your pocket.

3. EXPOSURE. The goal of marketing is to expose your home to as many people as possible, because more exposure means more (and often higher) offers. No matter how you slice it, you can't compete with the exposure a realtor can bring to your property. A realtor's marketing plan begins with staging the home, taking high-quality photos, and in some cases taking video or drone footage that shows off the property’s best features. A realtor will list your property on the MLS, an online clearinghouse for brokers and agents who have hundreds of clients searching for a home. Your realtor will also share your property on multiple websites, social media channels, and syndication sites where buyers and sellers abound. Add to that exterior signage, mailers, agent events, and open houses, and you've got a recipe to generate some serious exposure. The net result is more people viewing your property, which means more offers to choose from.

4. ADVOCATE. Nearly nine out of ten buyers have an experienced agent advocating on their behalf, so why wouldn't you? Every provision of the real estate contract is negotiable including the sale price, concessions, financing, inspections, and the closing date, just to name a few. A realtor will advocate and negotiate each of these terms with your best interests in mind so that you can have the best possible outcome. By the time closing day comes, this can add up to save you hundreds and even thousands of dollars.

5. PEACE OF MIND. Google it. Ranked among the most stressful times in a person's life is moving. Along with the responsibilities of everyday life (doesn’t that feel like enough at times?), selling a home means you've got to prepare the property, keep it clean, pack the boxes, schedule the movers, switch the utilities, and send one billion address changes. Add to that the stresses that come with managing the sale of your home—calls, showings, lenders, negotiations, contracts, inspectors, appraisers, repairmen—and you’ve got a perfect recipe that even your favorite stress ball can’t handle. Having a realtor by your side means that you get to keep enjoying the things that matter most while your agent handles the rest. Having a realtor handle the transaction for you means less stress, and more peace (and sleep).