Sell Your House Without A Realtor and Without Listing in GA

The traditional method of selling a property in Georgia by listing with a realtor or real estate agent works, but some Georgia sellers might be looking for other options in order to avoid paying commissions or to bypass the time-consuming hassle of listing. A seller might want to find a buyer and close on their property as quickly as possible, rather than dedicating time to finding the right realtor and waiting for things like appraisals, listing photos, showings, and price negotiations. Sellers also have the option the list their property without commissioning a realtor, selling on a For Sale By Owner basis, or they can bypass listing altogether and attempt to sell off-market. However, even in Georgia’s seller’s market, these options can take up as much, if not more, time and effort than the traditional selling method. So, the question remains: is there an alternative for selling your house in Georgia?

What to expect when working with a realtor in GA

Realtors and real estate agents provide an invaluable service to Georgia homeowners: their job is to handle the business side of buying and selling houses in order to make sure that sales close smoothly, fairly, and legitimately. They represent the interests of their client and handle the logistics of home selling, which includes responsibilities such as taking real estate photos of the property, posting and marketing the house listing in your Georgia area, arranging showings with potential buyers, and negotiating offers. Because it is their job to understand their local market and to use their professional experience and connections, they are well-equipped to handle these elements of a sale, which might be unfamiliar to the average Georgia seller.

This means that when you sell your house with a realtor, you don’t have to worry about the business side of the sale. However, that doesn’t mean that you won’t have anything to do. For example, it is up to you to find and hire the real estate agent that is right for you. Realtors can work for different agencies, or they can operate as independent freelancers, so you have options. It’s up to you to vet any potential agents by meeting with them, discussing their professional history and specialties, and sharing your desired strategy for selling your Georgia house. You want to make sure that you choose someone who is good at their job and who you can see yourself working with over an extended period of time.

What do you pay a GA realtor?

In Georgia, you will generally pay your listing agent a commission of 2-3% of the final selling price of the house. However, realtors offer various rates, and because there is no regulation on realtor fees, commissions are often negotiable. But it’s important that you remain aware of the impact that a lower commission can have on a realtor’s work. A realtor usually doesn’t work for only one client at a time, and sellers who agree on higher commissions will likely get more attention. The realtor does this in order to return the investments of their clients appropriately.

You can also make an agreement with an agent in order to reduce realtor fees. For example, you could arrange a transactional agreement or seek out a discount real estate broker to list your Georgia house. In either of these situations, you pay a flat fee or reduced commission, and the agent will take on fewer responsibilities. This may leave you in charge of things like real estate photos, marketing your property, and arranging showings and appraisals.

Are there drawbacks to working with a realtor in GA?

The biggest drawback of listing your Georgia property with a realtor (though this is applicable to most house-selling methods aside from a direct sale) is that hiring a realtor doesn’t guarantee that your property will sell immediately, or even within months of waiting. A realtor may be exceptional at their job, but depending on the condition of your property and the climate of your local market, it can take months to close on your property. Even in Georgia’s seller’s market, 52 days is the median for sellers to wait for offers. This does not account for the time it takes to find the right realtor, prepare the property to list, and close with the buyer. These additional steps can add 1-3 months to the selling process, depending on the condition of the house and the financing of the buyer.

Hiring a realtor also doesn’t eliminate the uncertainties that are out of the realtor’s control, such as financing or inspecting contingencies. Even after you have accepted an offer on your Georgia property, the final sale can still fall through. In Georgia, there is a window of about two months of legal limbo between accepting the offer and closing, and during this period the buyer can back out of the sale for a number of reasons that are out of a realtor’s hands.

What to expect when listing a property in GA

Listing a property in Georgia is the real hassle of home-selling simply because it can be a time-consuming and expensive process. While hiring a realtor to sell your house is meant to reduce the amount of work that you have to do, listing a property often creates a slew of additional steps between you and closing, and these steps can make the listing process much longer.

Things to do before listing

Even in a seller’s market like Georgia’s, you must make sure that your house is “market ready” before you list. In short, you will have to make sure that your property looks HGTV-ready in order to appeal to buyers. This involves simple work, like refreshing curb appeal, decluttering and depersonalizing, keeping the house clean, and possibly staging, but it also encompasses more complex jobs, such as making necessary repairs or updates, which can require monetary investments and even the work of professionals. Larger repairs like replacing HVAC units or handling plumbing and electrical issues can be heavy investments, but they can be necessary before putting your house on the market.

Listing the property

Once the property looks sellable, your realtor can arrange to take photos for the listing. It’s best to have quality images of your Georgia property for potential buyers to see, especially if there are potential buyers from outside Georgia, so employing an experienced photographer is always a good option. From there, your realtor will post the listing to the MLS (multiple listing service) so that buying agents can find your property. They will also market the property locally in your Georgia area, online, and on social media in order to attract more potential buyers. While the realtor handles this, it will be up to you to keep the property in market-ready condition as the realtor arranges showings and open houses, which means frequent cleaning and tidying.

Preparing to close

After this process, you may get several offers. Depending on how competitive the buyers get, you may receive offers that are higher than your asking price. It will be your realtor’s job to negotiate these offers, but which offer to accept will be up to you. Accepting an offer gets you closer to closing on your Georgia house, but there are still more steps to take. Either the buyer’s agent or your own realtor will arrange for an appraisal and inspection.

• An appraisal allows the buyer to see if they are paying appropriately for the property. If the appraisal finds that the buyer might be underpaying or overpaying, this can impact the final selling cost.
• An inspection lets the buyer see that there are no major issues that need repairing. If the inspection finds that there are problems with the property that were not initially stated or visible, the buyer can back out of the sale or negotiate a new price. You can also negotiate to invest in the necessary repairs yourself before closing.

Additionally, the sale can be stopped by a financing contingency, which gives the buyer time to back out of the purchase if they can’t obtain a loan or if the home doesn’t appraise for the value that the bank requires in order to close the loan.

Can you sell without a realtor and without listing?

There are a few ways to avoid the hassle of listing and paying a realtor’s commission when trying to sell your house in Georgia. Different methods can offer different solutions for cutting costs, avoiding repairs, and reducing waiting periods during the selling process. All you have to do is figure out with method works best for your situation.

For Sale By Owner

Opting to sell you house on a For Sale By Owner basis means that you handle the sale yourself without the professional aid of a Georgia realtor. This means that you take on a realtor’s responsibilities: arranging appraisals and showings, marketing the property, and negotiating offers. With this option, you are able to avoid paying a realtor’s commission, but this does not necessarily eliminate the need to list your property. You still have to find a buyer, which can be done without listing, but which can also be difficult, especially if you are unfamiliar with the selling process or with Georgia’s real estate practices. If you understand the real estate market and are confident in your ability to act as your own agent, then you can sell your house in Georgia on a for sale by owner basis.

Off-Market Sale

Selling your house off-market means that you do not list your Georgia property on the MLS, so you don’t have to handle the various tasks and difficulties that often arise with a public listing. However, you will have a smaller pool of potential buyers because there is no MLS listing to let a wide range of people know about your property. Instead, you will have to market the property to a select range of potential buyers. This reduces the need for numerous showings, but it also presents the need to commission a Georgia real estate agent: their professional connections would give them insight into who to market your property towards. To easily complete an off-market sale without a real estate agent, you would need to already have a selection of potential buyers at the ready, or confidence in your ability to find some. If that’s the case, then an off-market sale may be the best choice for your Georgia house.

Direct Sale with a Professional Homebuyer

This choice is a combination between the for sale by owner and off-market options for Georgia sellers. In the case of a direct sale, you cut out all of the “middle men” of the selling process: the only people involved are the seller, the buyer, and likely a local Georgia attorney to ensure the sale is legitimate (the presence of an attorney is necessary at all real estate closing according to Georgia law). However, this means you still have the problem of finding a buyer. It’s possible that you already have a buyer lined up or that you happen to be aware of interested parties that you can contact. If that’s not the case, you can always employ a realtor to help you find a buyer.

Alternatively, you can avoid paying realtor fees by seeking out a professional homebuyer in your area. In that case, you can go directly to the buyer to get a cash offer, which means you can sell your Georgia house without a realtor and without listing. This eliminates a lot of the uncertainties of the home-selling process:

• Professional homebuyers do not use bank financing, so there is no chance of financing contingencies stopping the sale.
• You don’t have to worry about making repairs or getting your property “market ready” before the sale because most homebuyers appraise and purchase homes completely as-is.
• The time you spend waiting for offers is also significantly reduced because you only have to worry about one showing between you and the buyer.

The biggest downside of this option is that you will likely get a slightly reduced offer on your home because you are selling as-is. However, if it is better for your situation to avoid the time-consuming listing process, fees, and repairs, that might be necessary to sell in Georgia, then a direct sale to a professional homebuyer might be for you.

Listing with an Agent vs. Selling to a Professional Homebuyer

As a Georgia homeowner, it’s smart to look at all of your options to find the best method for selling your property. While the traditional house-selling method of listing with a local Georgia agent might get you a higher sales price in the end, that might not be the best option for your situation. Aside from the money that ends up in your pocket, there are a lot of variables to consider while deciding between listing with an agent or selling directly to a homebuying company.

So which way works best for you?

There are pros and cons to every house-selling method, and it’s up to you to decide what will work best for your situation. While selling your house to a professional homebuyer might not be able to offer you full retail value for your house, that choice eliminates a lot of the uncertainties of listing your house with a Georgia realtor. If you’re in a situation where you need to move on quickly, without worrying about the hassle of finding the right agent or listing your home, selling to a professional homebuyer offers an easy solution.

Get a cash offer on your GA property today! Sell your house without a realtor and without listing

We Buy Houses In West Georgia is a local homebuying company that makes fair cash offers on Georgia properties as-is. No matter your situation, we can help you sell your house as quickly as possible. Our process eliminates the hassle of the traditional home-selling process, allowing you to sell your house and move on, worry-free and with cash in-hand.

Once you fill out our form to get your no-obligation cash offer started, someone from our team will contact you within 48 hours in order to set up a meeting to view your property, answer any questions, and make our cash offer. If you choose to accept this offer (there is no obligation to accept!), we will close at a local attorney’s office in Carrollton, Georgia, and you receive your cash payment.

“We closed in a few days”

“I owned a rental house that was dated and needed more work than I felt like dealing with. I received a cash offer that I was happy with and we closed in a few days.”

– Don Sutter, Lithia Springs, GA

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If you want to learn more, we invite you to visit our How It Works page. Here, we offer full transparency about our homebuying process, including details about exactly how we calculate our offers. You can also check out Our Company page to get to know our team, our credentials, and our experience. Fill out the form below to get a no-obligation cash offer started now!