You’ve decided it’s time to sell your house in Central Texas. But should you hire an agent? Are you okay with paying hefty commissions? How long are you willing to wait for an offer? How much time will it take to close the deal? What repairs might you need to make? Does the house look presentable when you leave for work each day? And can you show the house on short notice, even with just 24 hours or less?
Commissions and Fees
Real estate agents earn a percentage of your home’s sale price as their commission. If you sell without an agent, you avoid paying commissions to both the buyer’s and seller’s agents, saving you thousands of dollars! Typically, the commission is 3% for each side, so on a $400,000 sale, you’d pay $24,000 in commissions alone, plus traditional seller’s closing costs and potential transaction fees to the closing agent and real estate office. On the other hand, real estate investors usually don’t charge commissions or transaction fees, and if they do, the costs are much lower.
Waiting Time Frame
Real estate agents can list your property on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), making it easier for buyers to find your home based on specific features. While this sounds promising, how long will your house stay on the market? How quickly will offers come in? Real estate investors and direct buyers often have a network of other buyers, so if your property doesn’t match their needs, it might fit someone else’s. This usually means you won’t have to wait long for an offer. Plus, when you sell your house in Central Texas to these buyers, they typically close faster and pay in full cash. In contrast, traditional buyers often need bank approval, go through mortgage underwriting, and require property inspections, with no guarantee they’ll qualify in the end.
Inspections & Repairs
Professional house buyers in Texas typically purchase homes as-is. This means you won’t have to worry about making any repairs before closing or dealing with unexpected expenses. Some companies even skip inspections, making it a truly as-is sale. On the other hand, if you go through a real estate agent, the buyer’s agent will almost always order an inspection. If any issues are found with the property, you may be required to fix them at your own expense before the sale can close.
Showings
If you choose to work with a professional house buyer in Central Texas, you’ll avoid the stress of a typical home sale. No more unexpected calls during dinner asking if you can show your house, or the daily scramble to keep it spotless in case of a showing. You won’t have to deal with buyers’ agents or their clients, and there’s no hassle over which furniture you’re taking or leaving behind.
When you’re ready to sell your house, there are many factors to consider. We can help you determine the best option for your situation.
Please give us a call today at 512-230-3469 or send us a message to discuss the pros and cons of hiring an agent to sell your house in Central Texas.
Frequently Asked Question
Maybe you have a few questions. That’s okay; most people do. So here’s a quick question people ask us… along with our answers. If you still have a question, don’t hesitate to contact us (or give us a call) and we’ll be happy to answer it for you.
Q: How are you different from a real estate agent?
A: Real estate agents list properties and hope that someone will buy them. The agent shows the properties to prospective buyers and then take a percentage of the sale price if they find a buyer. Oftentimes, the agent’s commission is 3-6% of the sale price of your house (so if it’s a $100,000 house, you’ll pay between $3,000 – $6,000 in commissions to an agent). Agents provide a great service for those that can wait 3-6 months to sell and who don’t mind giving up some of that sale price to pay for the commissions. But that’s where we’re different: We’re not agents, we’re home buyers. Our company actually buys houses. We don’t list houses. Since we’re actually the one buying the house from you, and we pay with all cash… we can make a decision to buy your house within a couple of days (sometimes the same day). Again, we make our living by taking the risk to buy the house with our own cash, repair the house, and market it ourselves to find a buyer (which is the hard part in this market).