Working with a realtor can be a good way to put your property in front of a large audience of prospective buyers. This also means that there will be additional expenses that may not be fully clear at the time of listing your property. Here are five hidden costs of working with Real Estate Agents in Diamond Bar. Click here for more info.
Photography Fees
The first hidden cost of working with Diamond Bar real estate agents is photography fees. In the first meeting with the realtor, they may mention adding high-quality photos to your listing. They usually have a preferred or recommended photographer they work with and they trust, but having professional pictures taken of your property may cost more than you were expecting. It is also preferred to have a wide-angle shot of all of the rooms, and a 360-degree photo if possible, that way it can be uploaded into a program to take a virtual tour of each room. The Realtor may also suggest having a virtual tour of your property done, especially now when it is not ideal to be around more people than necessary these days. The more features of the photography package will help sell your house quicker, but they most likely won’t come for free.
Staging Fees
The second hidden cost of working with a Diamond Bar real estate agent is staging fees. If you do not leave furnishings in your property when it is being marketed for sale, the realtor may recommend property staging. This helps the prospective buyer picture themselves living or occupying this property and often sells the house quickly. If the realtor is not experienced enough or does not have time to stage properties themselves, they will often suggest a professional interior design service to come to stage the house for you. You will often have to rent or even buy the furniture and decor they plan to use to stage your property. This all depends, of course, on the value of the property. Usually, the more expensive the property, the more likely you will be encouraged to have it staged.
Related Article: What is a short sale and how does it benefit you in Diamond Bar CA?
Curb Appeal and Improvements
The third hidden cost of working with a Diamond Bar real estate agent is curb appeal. Realtors will often recommend upgrading the curb appeal of the property. Your property will most likely sell quicker because of the upgraded beauty of a fresh coat of paint and some new pops of color in the flower beds complete with new mulch, but all of this adds up. Painting a home, installing new plants, laying mulch, pressure washing the driveway and other visual enhancement will cost hundreds of dollars.
Property Inspections or Surveys
The fourth hidden cost of working with a Diamond Bar real estate agent is a property inspection or survey. Many realtors like to entice buyers with this extra perk in the listing. Having an up to date property inspection or survey is a substantial selling tool, especially if the property has no major issues or property line encroachments. This will give potential buyers the confidence to submit decent offers, but it will cost you.
Real Estate Commission
The fifth hidden cost of working with a Diamond Bar real estate agent is their commission. This, of course, is negotiated at the time of signing the listing agreement, but it’s easy to forget about that while your home is being marketed. You may not truly notice the impact of the brokerage fees until it’s time to sign the closing papers. Here you see all of your fees deducted off your sale proceeds, this will include the brokerage commission and may also include any inspections or reports pulled on your property that you agreed to pay for.