You have decided to sell your house. Great. Now comes the next decision:
Are you going to sell it yourself, or are you going to hire a Realtor?
I actually think that is a fair question. Hiring a Realtor is not the only way to sell a house. Some homeowners choose to sell on their own.
The question is not whether you can sell your house yourself. You can.
The better question is:
What do I want to be responsible for during this sale?
That answer can make the decision much clearer. If you are trying to decide whether to sell your DFW home yourself or hire a listing agent, I think it helps to understand what each option actually involves before making the decision.
What Does Selling a Home Yourself Actually Involve?
A For Sale By Owner seller takes responsibility for much more than finding a buyer. You need to determine how you want to price and position the property, decide what should be done to prepare it, and create a plan for photography and marketing.
You also need to manage inquiries and showings. When someone wants to make an offer, you need to decide how you will handle the real estate transaction and where you will obtain appropriate legal guidance regarding contracts or other legal questions.
You will also be communicating with the buyer or the buyer’s representative and coordinating with the other professionals involved in the transaction.
None of that means you should not do it. It means you should understand the job before deciding whether you want it.
Why Do Some Sellers Choose FSBO?
There can be different reasons. Maybe you already know someone interested in buying the property. Maybe you have sold real estate before. Maybe you are comfortable managing the process. Maybe you simply want to explore whether selling without an agent makes sense for your circumstances.
I am not going to tell someone that selling on their own is automatically a bad decision. I would rather ask what your situation is, what you are trying to accomplish, what you already know about the potential buyer, how comfortable you are managing the real estate side of the process, and what professional guidance you may need along the way.
Those questions are much more useful than arguing about whether FSBO is good or bad.
What Are You Paying a Listing Agent to Do?
This is where I think sellers should get very specific. Do not hire someone because they tell you they are a great Realtor. Ask what they are actually going to do.
When someone hires HART Realty Team to sell a home, my job begins well before the property appears online. I want to understand the property and the seller’s goals.
I study relevant comparable sales, current competing listings, pending activity when available, inventory, pricing changes, and current market response. Then we talk about preparation.
What actually needs attention? What probably does not? Where might spending money make sense? Where might it not?
Then we build the listing strategy.
That is the work you are hiring me to do.
How Should You Price a DFW Home?
This is one of the biggest differences between selling a home and simply advertising one.
A seller can choose any asking price. The market is not required to agree with us.
I use current real estate information to help a seller understand the competitive environment around the property. What has recently sold? What is currently for sale? What is pending? What has reduced its price? How long are comparable properties taking to sell? How does this home compare with those properties?
Then we make a pricing decision.
I do not believe pricing should be based on what we wish the house were worth. I also do not believe a Realtor can predict the exact amount a buyer will ultimately be willing to pay.
We make the best decision we can with the information available, then we watch what the market tells us.
What Does a Listing Agent Do Besides Put the Home in MLS?
This is another question sellers should ask before hiring anyone.
MLS distribution is important. It is not my entire marketing plan.
For my listings, I think about professional photography, property presentation, listing copy, online exposure, social media, reverse prospecting, open houses when appropriate, and how the property should be introduced to the market.
The plan should fit the property.
Then I watch what happens after launch. Are buyers viewing the listing online? Are we getting showing activity? What feedback are we receiving? Has the competitive market changed? Did another comparable property list? Did one go under contract? Did a competing property reduce its price?
Listing a property is not the end of the strategy.
It is when we start receiving real market information.
What Happens When an Offer Comes In?
Price is important, but it is not the only thing I want a seller looking at.
What financing is involved? What is the proposed closing date? What contingencies are included? Are concessions being requested? What other terms matter to this seller?
There may also be questions that should be directed to the title company, lender, attorney, tax professional, insurance professional, or another qualified professional.
My job is to help my seller understand the real estate terms of the offer, compare available options, negotiate within my professional role, and keep the transaction moving.
If a question moves outside my expertise, I want the appropriate professional involved.
Is Every Realtor Worth Hiring?
No. And I think sellers should be comfortable saying that.
A real estate license tells you someone is licensed to practice real estate. It does not tell you how they prepare a listing, how they market, how they communicate, or whether their approach fits what you need.
Interview the agent.
Ask questions. Ask to see their marketing. Ask how they determine pricing. Ask how often you will hear from them after the property is listed. Ask what information they will give you if the home is not receiving the response everyone expected. Ask who will actually be communicating with you during the transaction.
You are choosing someone to represent you in a significant real estate transaction.
You should understand what you are hiring.
For Texas license holders, TREC considers websites, social media posts, emails, brochures, and many other forms of public communication to be advertising. Texas advertising rules also require specified license-holder and broker identification and prohibit misleading advertising. TREC
What If I Talk to a Realtor and Still Decide to Sell It Myself?
Then you sell it yourself.
Seriously.
Talking to me does not obligate you to list with me.
If you are trying to decide between FSBO and hiring a Realtor, I would rather have an honest conversation about the work involved than try to scare you into signing a listing agreement.
Maybe you leave the conversation thinking, “I can handle this.”
Maybe you leave thinking, “Absolutely not. Ashley, you do it.”
Either answer gives you clarity.
And clarity is useful.
What My Clients Say
Robert Sheets shared:
“Ashley is extremely kind and considerate. She has helped my family find multiple homes. She is a very competent realtor that always provides common sense approaches to a tough decision making process. She is eager to help you find what you want in a house. We are blessed to call her our realtor and friend. Another job well done. Thanks again Ashley.”
I love the phrase “common sense approaches.”
That is what I want real estate to feel like.
There may be complicated pieces and difficult decisions, but my job is to help make those decisions easier to understand.
Should You Sell Your DFW Home Yourself or Hire a Realtor?
Start with what you want to own.
If you want to research the market, prepare the property, manage marketing, coordinate inquiries and showings, evaluate offers, negotiate the real estate terms, manage deadlines, and coordinate with the other professionals involved, selling on your own may be an option you want to explore.
If you would rather have someone manage the real estate process with you, then interview listing agents.
And do not just ask what they charge.
Ask what they do.
There is a difference.
If you are thinking about selling a home in Dallas Fort Worth and you are not sure which path makes sense, call me.
You do not need to have the answer before the conversation. We can talk about the property, your goals, your timeline, and what the selling process would look like with HART Realty Team.
Then you can decide what makes sense for you.
No pressure. Just better information before a big decision.
Visit HART Realty Team or connect with me at @AshleyHartRealtor.
