Selling a house is similar to selling any item at an auction gallery. In both cases, an item for sale is presented to a group of potential buyers to try to get the highest possible price. At the auction, buyers are all in the same room at the same time. The bids come quickly and the sale is over in a matter of minutes. When selling a house, everyone is not in the same place at the same time. The sale takes longer to complete, but the process is essentially the same.

Think about it. If one of your items were being sold at the auction gallery, would you prefer to have 10 people in the audience or 1,000 people in the audience? Logically, you're likely to get a substantially higher price from the larger group of buyers than from the smaller grou That's exactly the difference between you trying to sell your house and me listing the house and selling it with you. When you list with me, your house will go into the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Local Realtors, from every agency, will then contact all their buyers about your property and a vast number of people immediately become aware that your house or condo is on the market.

Most buyers prefer to work through Realtors because they want experienced professionals to protect their interests. Plus, they get access to almost all houses available for sale through MLS. The buyer gets this professional representation and market access for free because the fee for the buyer's Realtor comes from the seller through the seller's Realtor. It's a positive situation for everyone.

Why would a buyer go directly to a seller who is not using a realtor?
Clearly, their motivation is money. The buyer thinks they can get the house cheaper buying directly from the seller because the seller would not have to pay a brokerage fee. But trying to sell a home yourself is like a double I whammy. Very few buyers will contact you ... and those who do are basically looking for a "deal" that means less money for you.

Therefore, by using a Realtor, even after marketing fees have been deducted, you will probably wind up with the maximum profit. So if you're thinking of selling your home be smart. A realtor is your best marketing expert, a skillful negotiator and an experienced guide to help you avoid pitfalls every step of the way.