What are the common issues when trying to sell your home by yourself? Keith Bryan with the Whissel Realty Group breaks down the most common issues and how a real estate agent can help you avoid costly issues.

Anyone who has ever sold a home with an agent before, no doubt has looked at the closing statement and seen how much money they paid in commission. And I'm sure you've asked yourself, "Could I have done this myself and saved all that money?". Well, it's doable. But before you take on that responsibility, here are four things to give consideration to.

1. One, agents are home marketing specialists. First and foremost, agents know how to use MLS, open houses, broker previews, circle dialing, picking up the phone calling, putting out open house signs, doing mailers, canvasing the area for prospective buyers, photography, video. And let me ask you, did you want to do all that? I didn't think so. Hey, but I do! Did I mention our trademarked Seven Day Launch Marketing Plan? With premium placement on Zillow, Realtor, and Trulia? I didn't? Well call me, it's marketing on steroids.

2. Number two, agents bring qualified buyers. No matter how clearly it's stated, shown by appointment only, you're going to get that strange knock on your door from a stranger wanting to come in and see your house. And my question to you is, do you want to just let anyone in your house? I didn't think so. And here's the kicker, most of them aren't even pre-qualified with a mortgage company.

3. Number three, agents are expert negotiators. You might be confident in your negotiation skills, but more than likely they're not specific to real estate. Here's just a list of the people that you'll have to negotiate with, the buyer, the buyer's agent, the buyer's bank, the appraiser, the inspector, the title company, just to mention a few. Agents, we make a living negotiating contracts and homes sold with an agent can net up as much to 6% more, than those sold for sale by owner.

4. And number four, agents, we know our contracts. The home purchase contract is several pages of dense legal language and one mishap can cost you a boatload of money. Agents, we're not legal advisors, but we know how to navigate a contract, how to fill out a contract, and how to negotiate the best deal possible for you to get you to a successful closing.

In conclusion, it's doable, a for sale by owner. But before you take that big leap, you may give consideration to these four complexities and ask yourself, would I be better off hiring a professional like me? Keith Bryan, 760-456-9471.

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