Even the thought of selling your home can be nerve-wrecking.
But needing to sell your home fast due to a new job, a Georgia foreclosure, divorce, unemployment in Georgia, or the death of a loved one makes things super tough.
That’s why it’s important to know what ALL of your options are when needing to sell your house ASAP in Atlanta, Georgia.
This guide will help you make the most money when selling your house fast so that you can get out of your tough situation and move on knowing you did everything right. This article will walk you through how to:
- Find the best Realtor to make you the most money.
- Sell your house by owner to maximize profits.
- Sell your house for a cash offer to just be done with it fast.
So, which one is right for you? Let’s dig in.
Picking the Best Atlanta Real Estate Agent
Remember when you bought your house in Atlanta? Your Realtor helped walk you through dozens of documents and legalities when buying your home. In fact, it’s pretty overwhelming.
That’s why 89% of home sellers use a real estate agent to list their home. A Realtor can help protect you when buying or selling a home.
Why List Your House With A Realtor In Atlanta?
When you list your home with a Realtor in Atlanta, you’re most likely to gross the most money. This is because they have access to the MLS, which allows them to get your house in front of more eyeballs. The more people that see your house, the better chances you have at selling it.
But what if you just list your house on Zillow and Redfin yourself? You’re not going to make as much money. In fact, in 2017, homes sold through a Realtor averaged at $250,000. That’s 30% higher than when homeowners went the For Sale By Owner route, which came in at an average sold price of $190,000.
This is due to a few reasons, but namely, real estate agents have time to answer calls and correspond with potential buyers, they are eager to show your home to everyone, and they know how to navigate negotiations.
The National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) 2016 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers report states that homes listed with agents sell for a median 98% of the final listing price.
This just means that when you list with a real estate agent in Atlanta, they should be able to accurately price your home to sell. But beware, if you need to sell your home fast, make sure that your Realtor knows this.
To boost their own commissions, most Realtors will ‘test the waters’ and list your house at more than it’s worth, which makes your house sit on the market longer while you wait on the right buyer to come in at that offer amount.
What Does A Real Estate Agent In Atlanta Do To Sell Your Home Fast?
Sometimes how fast you sell your home is not dependent upon the Realtor that you choose. Instead, how fast it sells depends on whether it’s a buyer’s or seller’s market, how many homes are on the market, the condition of your home, mortgage interest rates, and how well or bad the economy is doing.
But, it’s a real estate agent’s job to make sure that you have the best chance possible to sell. If they know the area you live in really well, they will be able to tell you how other homes in the area compare to your home.
They will be able to provide you with a list of repairs to make on your home to bring it up to similar conditions to other homes in the area (or to get the best price for your home). They will know exactly what price to list the home to make sure that it sells fast. They will list it, market the home, coordinate showings, and negotiate with buyers.
Don’t Hire Just ANY Real Estate Agent in Atlanta
If you’re on a short timeline for selling your home, make sure that the real estate agent you’re working with is the right person.
This means don’t just go hire your Aunt Karen because she’s a real estate agent and it would cause family drama if you don’t.
You need a Realtor in Atlanta who has track record of selling homes like yours super fast. At the bare minimum, make sure that the real estate agent you select specializes in YOUR area.
Don’t hire a Realtor who operates in Buckhead to sell your home in Decatur. They are not going to drive to your home and sit in traffic for an hour just for a showing. Which means you’re not going to sell your home as fast.
Call large real estate brokerages in Atlanta and ask them who would be the best fit for your situation. And when they give you a name, ask why they chose that person.
(When you call in, you’re a lead. And ALL of the brokerages rotate leads between their real estate agents. Make sure you weren’t just given to the real estate agent who was next in line.)
Sell Your Home Fast To An Atlanta Home Buyer
Needing to sell your home fast in any situation is tough.
Sometimes, you literally just don’t have time to mess with listings, showings, stagings, open houses, inspections, negotiations, mortgage lenders… You get the point.
Selling your home with a Realtor in Atlanta just isn’t so fast.
When you need to sell your home fast and just be done with it, selling to an Atlanta House Buyer is your best option.
You may have seen the We Buy Houses Atlanta or Sell My House Fast Atlanta advertisement. They are literally everywhere.
Atlanta home buyers are generally companies who pay cash for your house in Atlanta.
No matter what the condition of the house is, the timeline you need to sell in, or any other particulars matter to investors who pay cash. If you can offer them a fair deal on the house, then they can close in as little as 14 days.
There’s no inspections, re-negotiations, open houses, cleaning the house up, fixing the house up, 50-page contracts, financing falling through, etc.
It’s just a clean, cash transaction that’s fast and easy.
For Sale By Owner Georgia [FSBO Georgia]
Most people want to do the for sale by owner route because they want control or they don’t want to pay Realtor commissions. When going this route, having a FSBO checklist really helps.
They want to show the home on their terms. They don’t want someone to tell them what needs to be fixed so they can list it. They don’t want to clean out the house. They don’t want open houses. They want to vet potential buyers before they come to the house.
They also believe that going the for sale by owner route will allow them to skip paying for real estate agent fees. Selling your home yourself means you can avoid losing 5-6% of your equity toward paying your real estate agent’s commission. Also, if you’re putting your house up for sale in a seller’s market, finding a buyer won’t be too challenging.
Just make sure that if you are selling your home on your own, then you know how to work with a buyer’s real estate agent. Most likely, you’re going to be selling to someone who has a Realtor in Atlanta representing them.
Out of all homes sold in 2016, only 8% were FSBO sales. And of those sales, only 54% were interested in selling fast. Those who do sell their homes fast typically do so because their buyer was a friend, relative or neighbor—and in that case, they are selling at an average 56% discount ($160, 300, compared to $250,000).
If you are going to sell a house by owner in Georgia, then you can use the buyer’s agent’s closing documents. All of the Realtors basically have the documents from the National Association of Realtors.
Make sure you read through the document package to make sure they are not slipping in any terms and conditions that you are not agreeing to. This is something that your listing agent normally handles for you.
Sell Your Home Fast In Atlanta – You’ve Got Options
Once you figure out which route is best for you and serves you the best, get to it. You have 3 really good options. Whichever route you choose, just make sure it allows you to sell your home fast if you need to.