If you’re thinking of selling, you’ll likely connect with people who want to help. Some will be agents and some will be investors. Check out this blog post to read about 3 ways to tell real estate agents and investors apart in Baton Rouge, and help you understand why you might want to work with one versus the other…
If you are thinking about selling your house you may be approached by several different types of people who all want to help you. Since the market it competitive right now, housing inventory (the number of houses for sale) is pretty low, so both real estate agents and investors are looking for properties to list or to buy. They offer different things, and it is important to know the differences. Here are three ways to tell real estate agents and investors apart in Baton Rouge.
Ways To Tell Real Estate Agents And Investors Apart In Baton Rouge: List Versus Buy
The first thing you need to do is ask whoever reached out to you what they plan to do with your house, list it or buy it. Real estate agents sign a contract with you to list your property on the MLS (Multiple listing service) so many other agents can see it and show it to their buyer clients. Typically, they will do marketing and showings to get your house in front of as many potential buyers as possible to help you get top dollar.
An investor doesn’t do that. They buy the house from you directly and then generally renovate it and re sell it or keep it as a rental. (That’s what we do at BuyHousesBR LLC – we are home buyers and we buy houses in Baton Rouge. If you want to sell your house, click here and enter your information to find out how much we can pay).
Ways To Tell Real Estate Agents And Investors Apart In Baton Rouge: Timeline To Sell
Another way to tell an agent apart from an investor is by asking when your house will actually sell. Agents won’t know, since they have to find someone interested in buying your house and get offers and go through that process. Depending on the condition of the house, it could take up to 3-6 months and many showings to get it sold. A house that recently has been renovated would sell much quicker than one that needs extensive repairs. We like the houses that need work.
Investors know exactly how long they need to buy your house, and generally their limitation is only because of the title company. The title search takes time and is necessary so the investor knows they are buying a property that they can resell at some point in the future, and that you actually are the owner of the property and there are no liens on it (you would be amazed at how often there are liens or multiple owners). As an investor, I get my money to purchase homes from friends and family instead of from a bank, so I usually only need a few days to have the purchase money. I base my timeline on you, and can close whenever you want once the title search is done.
Ways To Tell Real Estate Agents And Investors Apart In Baton Rouge: Commission Versus No Commission
This one is crucial! An agent makes their money when they find a buyer and then you have to pay them a commission on the house (which usually is around 6% of the sale price, 3% for the listing broker and 3% for the agent who brings the buyer). So if the agent lists your house for $100,000 and you accept a full price offer, you receive $94,000 minus closing costs and some taxes.
When you sell to an investor, there aren’t commissions. Investors make money by renting the house or by repairing the house and selling it, so they don’t need to deal with commissions. If we agree to $95,000 for a house, you get a cashiers check for $95,000 at closing. In exchange for a quick sale and not having to make any repairs, investors usually look for a bit of a discount on the property to make sure they can make money and keep operating their business.
There are other ways to tell an agent or investor apart. The best thing to do is just ask… they’ll tell you!