4 Things You Need to Expect When Selling With an Agent

February 11, 2017

Are you working with a local Stockton real estate agent to sell your house? Or maybe you’re thinking about it? If so, we’ve identified the top 4 things you need to expect when selling with a real estate agent — to help you navigate the process smoothly!

There are many ways to sell your house and many people choose to work with a real estate agent to help them during that process. If you plan to work with an agent, here are 4 things you need to be aware of when selling with an agent in Stockton…

4 things you need to expect when selling with an agent

#1. Money to Fix and Sell the House

I Inherited a House But Need to Get Rid of It As the old adage goes, “Pay me now or pay me later”. This is very true in all real estate transactions. The condition of your house is probably the most important single aspect for determining the “Sales Price” and most real estate agents sell Pretty Houses.

What happens if you have an Ugly House that you want to sell in Stockton? Do you think that just any real estate agent is going to be able to sell it as is, without inspections, without an appraisal and without the new buyer noticing what is wrong with the house?

The truth of the matter is that unless you fix and update your house the cost of the repairs is going to come right off of the appraised value and that means that you need to answer some very hard questions; Do I spend thousands of dollars today and gamble that I can sell my house in Stockton and recoup that cost. Or do I sell it as is and move on. A word of advise, if you have the money fix the house. If you dont have the money… sell it as is because trading dollars for repairs is a lot riskier than you may think.

The second half of the money conversation is even starker… When you are selling a house through a real estate agent you need to remember that its what they do for a living. But also remember that every professional has strengths and weaknesses and if you are selling a house that is UGLY, you need the help of a cash home buyer not a real estate agent.

Here is why: A real estate agent is a professional who performs a service for your benefit. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, and yet many people are surprised when they learn that the agent charges a 5% to 6% commission for their service… and this commission is thousands of dollars and comes out of the sales proceeds! The most important fact is that it is always paid for by the Seller. For some people, that’s okay because they want the benefits that an agent provides, but it can be a costly surprise if you’re not prepared.

#2. Time

You probably want to sell your house as quickly as possible. An real estate agent wants that too, because they get paid upon closing. However, an agent is at the mercy of what buyers want… and agents know that what 98% of Buyers want is a house that is move in ready with out the repairs and updates to worry about.

Certainly a good real estate agent will work hard to find a buyer for your house but they CAN’T guarantee that your house will be sold within a certain time-frame. In fact the chances are that the agent that listed your house and placed the sign in your yard will NOT be the agent to sell your house and the seller pays that commission as well. (Note: if you need to sell in a certain time-frame, the fastest way to sell is to bypass the real estate agent and just let me buy your house directly. Call us at (209) 481-7780 to learn more about my service).

Sell My Home in Stockton Finally one more consideration; Did you know that over 35% of all houses that are listed by real estate agents just dont sell within the initial listing period of 6 months?. That is a big number and it means that real estate agents play a numbers game with your house hoping that another agent finds a buyer for your house.

#3. Showing

We all know and fear the drill, we sign a listing agreement and a for sale sign goes in the front yard. That is great right? You are ready for the parade of people that want to see the house, the calls from agents at odd times because they want to show the house and your need to keep everything in pristine condition until it is sold?

For a real estate agent to find a buyer who wants to buy your house, they have to show it to a LOT of people. Buyers will obviously want to walk through the house and decide for themselves if it’s the right house for them. Therefore, if you work with an agent, you should expect the agent to arrange showings with buyers – which means you may need to leave your house while buyers walk through it.

#4. Unknowns

Agents provide a great service but the truth is – agents can’t control any part of the process. There are many unknowns that will influence the sale of your house. These unknowns include:

the number of other sellers selling similar houses,
the number of buyers who want to buy,
the number of banks willing to lend money for mortgages,
the state of the economy in the city, within the state of CA, and in the country as a whole,
the home inspections for termites, foundation, roof, plumbing and electrical.

Be aware that if any problems are found, that the buyer is going to want you to pay for the repairs.

Summary

If you need to sell your house fast we buy houses Stockton — We Buy Houses Manteca, Stockton, Sacramento, Modesto, Lodi and Tracy CA

Selling your house is daunting. Most people are terrified of the whole process, which is why many people that have to sell choose to work with a real estate agent in the first place. Get a really good one because if you dont the results will be hit and miss and if you are going to pay someone that much money to sell your house, get the best because they all get paid the same commission. Finally if a real estate agent is how you want to sell your house, you are armed with these 4 things you need to expect when selling with an agent in Stockton.

Second thoughts? At Westbrook REI, we buy houses in Stockton in any condition and we pay cash! If you want a cash offer from us, or if you want to meet and discuss what I would recommend recommend, click here now and fill out the form or call our team at (209) 481-7780

Sell My Home in Stockton

We Buy Houses Stockton, The Man Behind the Sign

I Buy Houses Stockton Introduction (209) 481-7780 We buy Houses Stockton

My name is Peter Westbrook and I am a local real estate investor and the owner of We Buy Houses Stockton and Westbrook Real Estate Investments in Stockton, California. I am NOT a Real Estate Agent or Broker and for good reason. I purchase real estate and I am NOT going to ask you to pay a commission or a fee.…I pay CASH and because I do, I can close on the day that I tell you.

For those of you that already know me or have already called me you can attest that I answer my own phone and I return all phone calls. When you call me at 209-481-7780 you are calling me on the same number that my mother and my closest friends call me at.

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What Customers Say

The City of Stockton was getting ready to tear down my old house. I was no longer able to maintain the Stockton House and after years of trying to keep up with code violations, needed repairs and vandalism, I finally called Peter

Westbrook. He came right out and told me what he could do. He contacted the city and county and even cleaned up the property before he bought it. He paid the back taxes for me and gave me an advance on the purchase of the house. Without his help I would have lost everything. I called real estate agents and other investors but no one wanted to help and no one offered to pay as much as Peter Westbrook. He completely remodeled the house and I smile every time I go by. Thank you Peter.

Leonard S

We inherited our parents house with one of our brothers living there . The property taxes had not been paid and it was in Tax default. We called Peter Westbrook and he found that the title was still in our parents name, so the Stockton House never went through probate. Peter also found that there was an old auto loan that had a lien on the

title and an old bankruptcy ruling to take care of that lien had never been filed with the courts. Peter handled everything including paying the back taxes, paying for the hiring a Probate Attorney and filing the probate and paying for and hiring a Bankruptcy Attorney to finalize the removal of the lien. He was patient, understanding and he took care of everything including evicting the tenants that were living in the house. We talked to real estate agents and other I buy house people. None of them had the answers for our situation. Without peter we would have lost everything. We got paid cash.

Steve H

We inherited my parents Stockton house with a mortgage. We decided to rent it out. The tenants destroyed the house. I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t have the money to fix it and the city had already issued code violations.. I called an “I Buy Houses Stockton Sign” on a telephone pole and Peter Westbrook answered. In 4 days he paid the bank and bought my house. We would have lost everything if it weren’t for Peter Westbrook.

Mike B

I inherited my mothers house with a mortgage. When my husband and I lost our jobs, we got behind in payments. Then the Bank posted a default with a auction date we didn’t know what to do.

We didn’t have the $15,000.00 and we only had two weeks to do something. We called Peter Westbrook and form the beginning he was confident he could stop the bank. Within 4 days he bought the house with cash, paid off the bank and stopped the Foreclosure. Without Peter we would have lost everything.

Brenda T

I saw a sign on a telephone pole and against my better judgement I called. The last thing I expected was a person answering the phone. I was surprised, Peter Westbrook answered the phone. I had a lot of questions and Peter had the right answers. My mother needed to get as much as possible out of the house and we had talked to several real estate agents and they all wanted to sell it cheap and wanted a 6% commission. They all told us unless we put thousands of dollars into it could not be sold for what we wanted. Not Peter. He made a fair cash offer and since then we have sold him another house. Peter and the title company handled everything. I couldn’t be happier and I would recommend Peter Westbrook to anyone.

Cathy W

I needed to sell my Stockton House. I called a phone number I saw on a sign and talked to Peter Westbrook. The City of Stockton said that they were going to take away my vacant Stockton house, knock it down and send me the

bill to do it. I did everything that I could to try to make them happy. A neighbor offered to buy the house and then Peter offered me twice as much. He did everything he said he would do and I just had to go to the Title Company and sign the papers. He did all of the work and now the City of Stockton is his problem. Thank you Peter.

Ann C

I inherited my Fathers Stockton house. The front porch was falling in, the walls had holes from being vacant and vandalized. The City of Stockton fined us, red tagged the property and forced us to put on a new roof so we had to get loans and we still couldn’t rent it out.

I called one of those “I Buy Houses” signs and Peter Westbrook came out and made a cash offer. The House closed escrow and we got our money for a house we though was worthless. Thanks Peter!”

Broderick R.

“Our Grandfather passed away and my brother, sister and I inherited his Stockton house. He was a junkman and hoarder. He was also 90 years old and had not made a repair to the house in years. He had garage sales almost every day. The house and the yard were full of junk. We tried to get everything out so we could just see the house. We had family and friends come over on the weekends but the cost and effort was consuming all of our time.The house was a mess.

I called Peter Westbrook and he made us a cash offer for the house and he said he would take care of all of the clean up. Thank God I called. The City had issued code violations and fines on the property and even before we closed escrow Peter and his crew had the house and yard cleaned (4 large Dumpsters later) . I recommend Peter Westbrook to anyone that has a problem house. They were fast and professional”

Connie J.

“I had tried to sell my Mothers Stockton house for two years. Realtor’s told me to tear it down. I didn’t have the money for that and my Brother and his family were living there. Peter Westbrook made me a cash offer and closed escrow with my brother still in the house. Peter Westbrook is my savior. I don’t have to worry about the house any more. If you have a Stockton house that has become a burden and you don’t have the money to fix it to sell it, call Peter Westbrook.”

Rosemary R.