The differences between selling your home on your own versus hiring a
realtor can be huge; thus, making the decision between the two somewhat
difficult. Here are some of the advantages to each:
Sell it yourself
You avoid realtor's fees.
You are able to negotiate completely on your behalf and do not have
to feel any sort of concern that a representative of your interests
may be falling short.
No one knows what life is like in your home better than you! You may
be more convincing to a buyer than any outside realtor could be.
Buyers may be more inclined to meet with you than a realtor because
that will negate the middle man and may lead to a more accurate depiction
of each side's needs.
Hire a Realtor
Realtors do this for a living. They have a great deal of experience
selling homes (probably more than you do).
You open yourself up to a greater volume of exposure to prospective
buyers, since realtors find homes for buyers for a living. This exposure
increases your chances of finding a buyer that matches your needs and
subsequently speeds up the selling process.
A realtor is required to be familiar with up-to-date market values
and will work with you to set a competitive asking price.
Window shoppers will be deterred from wasting your time; the realtor
will be predominantly dealing with serious prospective buyers.
Realtors are skilled in reading contracts and will be sensitive to
any fine print that you may have dismissed as unimportant.