It's been an age-old question sellers have constantly asked themselves before doing the next step: is it wise to sell a home on your own?
Now, with the added convenience of the Internet, there are real estate agents who do transactions online only, and this is starting to be prominent in countries like the UK. So, is this a sound move for Americans? Definitely not, according to the National Association of Realtors, which represents real estate agents in North America.
"(Real estate agents here in the U.S.) have a unique understanding of what buyers' value in their local markets," Adam DeSanctis, a spokesperson for the organization told CNBC.
"Their real insights and local market knowledge and ability to help consumers navigate each step of the transaction would be extremely difficult to imitate in an online-only model."
Furthermore, De Sanctis believes that buying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions an American would make in his life, therefore it should be taken seriously. He added, "It shouldn't be taken lightly and is far more complex than clicking 'buy' on a website, like you'd do when purchasing an airline ticket."
It was also noted, according to CNBC, that each online agents differs in terms of the extent to which they are involved in selling your home and that there could be an extra charge in the event that they send another person to show potential buyers around your home. Therefore, De Sanctis still believes that the local knowledge and hands-on approach of traditional real estate agents made them a more appealing option for U.S. citizens even if online agents, particularly those in the UK, say that they have local experts and that the changes in the market are just the same thing as when buying grocery began to happen online.
