The Dangers Of Listing your Home without a Property Practitioner

"In a perfect world, we would put our properties up for sale, and within a week, we'd receive our exact asking price and start packing our bags. Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world, and, for the most part, this is incredibly rare," says Gerhard Kotzé, CEO of the RealNet property group.

"Real estate is a tough industry, and if you don't know what you're doing, you can make costly mistakes at every turn, especially if you decide to try to sell your home on your own. Property Practitioners exist for a reason, and while it is possible to sell your home on your own, you should do so with extreme caution."

"According to Clever.com, a leading real estate firm in the US, homes that are listed as For Sale By Owner (FSBO) sell for 26% less than homes that are sold by an experienced Property Practitioner, and this is for more than a few reasons."

"Firstly, you don't have access to all of the resources and expertise that Property Practitioners have. You will be at a huge disadvantage when it comes to understanding the offers you receive, as it's easy for the untrained eye to gloss over important aspects of a contract. And, before you know it, you've signed a legally binding contract that will be very difficult to break."

"Moreover, Property Practitioners are marketing experts. They know exactly how to stage, price, and position your property to get it to sell quickly and for a good price. Without their expert advice, your home could end up sitting on the market for significantly longer than you had first planned, which can lead to even more issues."

"When your home sits on the market for too long, it can make potential buyers think that there is something wrong with it, as it shows that there hasn't been enough interest in your property for you to make a sale. This often results in buyers making offers below your asking price, as they may think you will take any offer presented to you. And, unfortunately, the longer your home is on the market, the less likely you are to receive your asking price."

"It's always better to enlist the help of a Property Practitioner. While you will end up paying extra fees, it will often be worth it, as you will likely end up selling your home for far more than if you were to try to sell your home on your own.