The Legend of Homebuying: A Millennial Fairy Tale | Part 2

The princess was ready to embark on an adventure and sell her castle….

She picked an excellent time to enter the castle market. The real estate industry in her kingdom was hot and everyone wanted to buy a new home all across the land.

Now that part is not fantasy. Bringing it back to reality, the real estate market in Kansas City is blazing hot, even now in the usually slower winter months. All across Kansas City, homes are selling at a record pace, averaging less than 23 days from initial listing to a signed contract. The median sales price of homes in Kansas City rose almost 20% last month to $233,000 while inventory decreased 46%. Positive growth has been shown in pending and closed sales for the last three months.

If any of that information is surprising to you, it is a good time to introduce today’s real estate myth that we are going to debunk…

Real Estate Myth #2 – I Do Not Need A Real Estate Agent To Sell or Buy a Home

Like playing Yahtzee without dice, or driving a car without a steering wheel, not using the services of a real estate professional risks the safety of your wallet and leaves you in the dark to navigate the wild and unpredictable real estate market of today. Let’s take a look at the top three reasons why you should utilize the services of a real estate professional.

Rigorous Education Standards

As agents at Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate Kansas City Homes, from the date our new professionals join our team, they embark on a rigorous training program linking with a dynamic and interactive library of learning resources. We do this to make sure that every single one of our real estate experts brings the most innovative, cutting edge tools and knowledge of the Kansas City home market, to you, to help reach your goals.

These tools include industry-leading home search software featured on our website that allows you to search for homes, condos and more, to buy and rent across the Kansas City area. You can search specifically in the city you’d like to live, and narrow your search by HOA dues, amenities, and school districts to name just a few. From that same website, you can read about every community in Kansas City, access our Better Living Blog, guides for first-time homebuyers and sellers, and tips for selling your home.

All of our eight offices across the metro are focused on the continuing education and standards for all of our agents. Our offices are managed by non-selling brokers which allows for increased instruction for our agents and a much more inclusive atmosphere.

Saving Time and Money

While this section could be pages long, we truly focus on how a real estate professional can use their knowledge to save you the most money. As we outlined above, our experts are highly educated in real estate to bring you the best home buying or selling experience in Kansas City.

You can sell your home on your own which is called a For Sale by Owner or FSBO listing. When you embark on a For Sale By Owner journey, like 6% of homeowners did in 2019, you are likely not prepared for the amount of work it will take. Marketing, listings, taking potential buyer phone calls, staging, visits, negotiations, inspections, and price settings are all on you to take care of. When you also throw in the regular demands of a full-time job, this is a daunting task to undertake for anyone who is not a licensed real estate professional.

Most FSBO homes go in that direction because people want to save themselves from having to pay an agent’s commissions. A top real estate agent can set an appropriate price and, on average, can sell your home for 10% more than most other agents according to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and 15-20% more, on average, than a FSBO listing. The national average agent commission is around 5.8% according to Investopedia, and the average home sells for around $250,000. When you consider an agent can net you 15-20% more for your home than listing it FSBO, the average commission shows exactly how much value an agent has.

Additional Services

Most agents work for a brokerage that gives them many additional benefits for their clients. At Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate Kansas City Homes, we have several programs for our clients that extend beyond just assisting with your buying or selling a home.

This year we unveiled our BHGRE® Moves program that links you with businesses in the Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate network and offers exclusive deals and coupons to help you with your move. Businesses like Home Depot, Lowes, and PODS all participate and save large amounts of money on moving essentials.

We also feature a quarterly Distinctive Collection® magazine that showcases luxury homes in Kansas City and offers additional advertising to a nationwide audience.

The backing of America’s leading lifestyle brand, bringing a reputable and well-established brand identity to our company. Better Homes & Gardens circulates to 7.6 million people every year and is one of the most subscribed magazines in the country.