Study: Home sellers twice as likely to sell home using a Realtor®

Home sellers are more than twice as likely to sell their homes using a Realtor® than when they try to sell their homes on their own, according to a new survey from HomeGain, a leading provider of online marketing solutions for real estate professionals.

Surveying over 400 homeowners between July 31 and August 10, the site asked home sellers whether they used a Realtor® to sell their home or whether they attempted to sell it themselves.

Most, 79 percent, of those respondents said they had contacted a Realtor® to sell their home and 21 percent said they tried to sell their home on their own.

Sixty-six percent of homeowners who used a Realtor® to sell their home were successful compared to 30 percent of those who tried to sell on their own, reflecting a 120 percent higher closing rate for those home sellers using a Realtor®.

“The value of a Realtor® in a real estate transaction is made strikingly apparent in our 2012 FSBO vs. Realtor® survey of home sellers,” said Louis Cammarosano, general manager of HomeGain, in a press release. “A qualified Realtor® understands the dynamics of the market and can better assist home sellers in the pricing and preparation of their homes for sale.”

Eight-five percent of homeowners who used a Realtor® to try and sell their homes said they would use a Realtor® again for their real estate needs.

Key findings of the survey include:

• Sixty-six percent of homeowners who used a Realtor® to sell their home were successful vs. 30 percent of those who tried to sell their own, a 120 percent higher closing rate for those home sellers using a Realtor®.
• Eighty-nine percent of homeowners who used a Realtor® to try and sell their home said they would use a Realtor® again.
• Ninety percent of those who managed to sell their home without a Realtor® said they would try and sell their home on their own again.
• Twenty-two percent of homeowners unable to sell their homes eventually decided to enlist the aid of a Realtor® to help sell their home.