In one hyphenated word: Job-security
The long answer:
Real estate agents have been forever haunted by the possibility of a widespread realization that their professional value is over-estimated, and they get over paid (on average, they make $6,250 per commission). They consistently flood the FSBO market with doubt and articles about how experienced and skilled they are. I think a good way to determine whether or not a real estate agent has the best intentions is to look at the facts. A widely publicized statistic proves that agent's often sell their own home for much more than their clients. Let's step back from that and consider the incentive. If you get an offer on your home for $10k less than you're asking, of course the agent will tell you to sell. If it took another week to sell your house, the agent would only receive a small portion of that (about $150). Put yourself in their shoes, would you spend another week advertising a home and showing it to potential buyers all for $150? Probably not, but when you sell your home by owner, you have the incentive of the full $10,000! That's a second car, 3 vacations, or a new kitchen. Ok, so obviously it makes sense to sell your home yourself because you care more about what you get paid, but what about the myth that they have access to tools you don't? Here at NoMoreAgent, we provide flat-fee mls listings (the same mls an agent would list your home on), for a mere couple hundred dollars. We also give you analytics, a lead manager, an "instant info" yard sign (potential buyers can scan a QR code or send a text message for a link to your property listing which they can view on their phone, then contact you on-the-spot!), and much more! The final thing that might hold you back is experience/knowledge. That's another aspect of selling a home that realtors use to their advantage. Well, fear-no-more. We have a blog to answer some quick questions, an ebook on Amazon that dives deep into the selling process, and we're almost always available to answer your questions the same day!