With the number of online tools available, it is easier than ever to sell a home. Sellers have a far larger platform to list their homes to be seen by a much bigger audience and there is a wide range of resources to help sellers through the process. With the ease and convenience the internet offers, it can be easy to think you no longer need a real estate agent’s help. The full process of selling a home might not be quite as simple as you think, however. Here are 3 things every seller needs to know before putting their home up for sale.

Showings Are Hugely Time Consuming

If you have never sold a home before, you may not fully understand just how involved showings can be. If you have sold a home before but not for a long time, it is easy to forget. Not only do you need to stage your home for maximum impact, but you also need to make sure it is model-home immaculate before vacating. Trying to prepare your home for buyers and vacate the premises is already challenging—particularly if you have pets and/ or kids to manage as well—without having the added challenge of coordinating the showing with the buyer’s agent.

Financial Transactions Can Be Highly Emotional

While your home is a significant investment, it’s also a place you have made a number of cherished memories. To buyers, your home is currently just a house. Not only do they want to get the best deal possible, but they have no emotional attachment to the property like you do. Emotions can make people make rash decisions, especially when trying to sell real estate. Real estate agents can help take the emotions out of negotiations.

The Actual Sales Price of a Home Can Vary Drastically

The actual sales price of a home can actually fluctuate by several thousands of dollars depending on how the sale is structured. For instance, paying a certain amount of closing costs rather than lowering the price of the home can actually net the buyer’s more, which in turn can also net more for sellers. Experienced real estate agents know exactly how to structure the terms of sales contracts to ensure you walk away with the most profit.

While selling a home may be easier than ever before, that doesn’t mean there is no benefit to working with an experienced real estate agent. Selling a home is a long, time-consuming and often emotional process. A good real estate agent can make it a significantly smoother one.