When most people think about selling their house , they picture a very specific frustrating process and think that using a real estate agent is the only way to sell your home. While this is very commonly the case with a lot of homes its definitely not the only way. Real Estate investors like us is one a great alternative to the long process of traditional real estate sales but how does this work?

If you decided that you would rather not list your house on the open market or deal with a succession of potential buyers, you can speak with us a local real estate investor instead. A real estate investor will meet with you to discuss your house and then tour the property together in order to see the condition. Based on this and any pertinent information related to the property (financial concerns, tenants, hoarders, termites, etc.), they will make you an all cash offer on your Texas Home. While this offer is often below market value usually 70-80% of your homes market value, it eliminates all of the costs, time, and commissions involved with selling through a real estate agent. The point is that the real estate investor wants to purchase your property in its current condition with the intention of getting it into a condition where they can re-sell it for a profit or renting it out. When selling your house to a real estate investor, the timeline is much quicker. In fact, it’s up to the seller to determine how fast they want the transaction to take with closing being as fast as just 7 days. Since this process doesn’t involve mortgage companies or real estate agents, there are far fewer requirements, fees, and contracts to tie up the timeline. Additionally, when you sell your house directly to a real estate investor, there are no fees or commissions. Since you’re not dealing with a real estate agent, appraisers, or inspectors, you don’t have to worry about all the fees that each of them come with. In fact, some investors will sometimes pay for any closing costs as well. Of course, the offer they make will be below market value given their business model, but you can not only compare that to your true profits if you went through the entire market sale process but also the time cost involved.

When you work with a real estate agent or Realtor, they are going to follow a specific process in attempting to sell your house. As licensed professionals through our state are required to follow specific rules when working with you. You enter into an agreement with them to be your sole representative in negotiations for home sales. They then list your house on the MLS and other real estate listing services under their name and company. When potential buyers want to learn about your house or come visit it for an open house, they have to go through your real estate agent. The most obvious benefit of hiring a real estate agent is that its completely hands free. In theory, your agent should have a good understanding of the local real estate market, rules and regulations, and market conditions. They’ll be able to cut through the red tape and handle all the documentation and fees you need in order to get your home on the market and sold. The downside when you’re selling your house with an agent, you are often at the mercy of the open market and buyers. There are millions of variables to consider, and every house is different, but it’s likely that it will take at least two or three months from the day you list your house with an agent to the day it enters the closing process. After that, it’s likely that it will take another one or two months for the closing process to be completed, for the buyer’s lender to approve the loan, and for you to receive everything you are due in the sale agreement. Of course, it might also take much longer than this if the market isn’t working in your favor or if the condition of your house makes it hard to find a buyer on the open market. Realtors do a lot of work on behalf of the seller. They not only handle all of the listings but they also do the negotiations for you as well. They deal with buyers and their agents and understand how to maneuver the market to find you the best deal possible. However, they’re not doing any of this for free. When you hire a real estate agent, they are going to get a commission for selling your house. Sellers should expect to pay as much as six percent of the sale price to the agent, which is going to cut into whatever profit you make after paying off existing loans and other fees. 

If you decide to list your home yourself it can be completely overwhelming just trying to get buyer to come look at your home. You could deal with a constant ringing from both agents and investors alike when trying to sell your home. Additionally not only will you have to figure out what documents are needed but you will also have to determine a fair non-biased price for your home, market your home online & offline, navigate the red tape that goes with selling your home, and spend time showing people your home. Though it can be done trying to sell your home by yourself can actually take longer than listing your home or selling to an investor. Not only that but you will also have to navigate and pay the fees associated with mortgage companies, loan companies, appraisers,  and inspectors. If you do decided to sell your home yourself consider hiring a contractor to freshen up your home with new landscaping, paint, or simply declutter your home. Selling your house yourself is more complicated than using a real estate agent. But if you can make it happen, you can save tens of thousands of dollars on real estate agents but it will take time.