Here’s the problem with the real estate industry:

Agents are often treated like a fluffy extra when selling your home rather than an asset who can help you make the most money possible from your home sale.

We tend to be the first to go when you think about cutting expenses or netting more money.

I’ve always felt frustrated (and saddened on those seller’s behalf) by the lack of knowledge about what it is a GOOD agent actually does for you.

I see the comments floating around in Facebook group threads and on Instagram – “I knew you could get the price you wanted! We are going to try selling on our own this Summer too. Why not when there is so much demand?”

Here’s the truth: The demand for houses right now, would not exist without real estate agents. We are the ones driving up that demand, getting you 37 showings you wouldn’t have without us, analyzing the offers (that are truly a foreign language to read through if you’re not a professional).

You wouldn’t have someone taking that accepted offer and making sure you’re not leaving any money on the table from that point until closing.

We are not just here to give you some advice and see what happens.. Do you think our only job as an expert is to tell you to paint your walls white, take down the ugly drapes and rearrange your furniture – not even close. We didn’t flip or decorate one house and decide we were qualified to help you buy or sell your home. We dedicate our lives to this.

If you decide to forgo hiring a professional to help you sell your largest asset and you come out on the other side feeling successful – even that is subjective because you have no idea how much money you could be leaving on the table from your lack of expertise.

Moral of the story – before you write off a real estate agent as a shiny extra, find a damn good one and see how they can help you. Smart people hire experts to handle their largest assets, not themselves.