Selling a home has become a more complex decision as online platforms offer new ways to bypass real estate agents.
According to a new Clever Offers survey, 42% of sellers said market conditions influenced how they sold their home, and many chose alternative routes such as cash buyers, iBuyers or for-sale-by-owner listings.
Of those who skipped an agent, 29% sold by owner and 29% sold to a cash-buying company — with iBuyers and flat-fee MLS listings also garnering double-digit shares.
Still, the data suggest traditional agents deliver better results. Sellers who used an agent earned an average profit of $138,477, about $6,200 more than those who went it alone.
86% of represented sellers said they were happy with their selling method, compared with 71% of nontraditional sellers, the report said.
Saving on fees, losing on price
Many sellers forgo agents to avoid commission costs. Yet 85% of those who sold without an agent didn’t know the average commission rate of roughly 6%.
More than three in four nontraditional sellers (77%) would accept less than asking price on their home to avoid selling with an agent, with 42% saying they’d be willing to lose at least $15,000 on their home, the report said.
Nearly one in six unrepresented sellers said they’d take $25,000 less just to avoid working with an agent — a loss that exceeds typical commission fees.
The misunderstanding of commission rates may lead sellers to misjudge potential savings.
Although 72% of unrepresented sellers said skipping an agent was worth the extra work, more than half reported feeling overwhelmed during the process.
Pricing pitfalls, market challenges
Pricing remains one of the hardest tasks for unrepresented sellers.
One in four said setting the right price was difficult, and 41% later wished they had priced differently.
Among sellers who worked with an agent, 81% said their home was priced correctly.
Negotiations also proved daunting. Nearly half of those who sold on their own felt intimidated dealing directly with buyers’ agents, and more than a third wished they had negotiated more.
Sellers who use an agent (86%) are happier with their choice of selling method than those who do not (71%) — and in the end, 36% of nontraditional sellers wish they had used an agent, the report stated.
Profit and pace
Speed remains a major priority for home sellers, but working with an agent still appears to offer an edge.
About 65% of agent-assisted sellers received an offer within two months, compared with 51% of nontraditional sellers.
In hindsight, 34% of unrepresented sellers believed their home would have sold faster with an agent.
Profit margins tell a similar story.
96% of represented sellers made money on their sale, compared with 93% of those without agents. Represented sellers were also more satisfied with their profits — 85% versus 75% of unrepresented sellers.
Regrets and realities
Even with broader access to selling tools, many homeowners find the process more complicated than expected.
Unrepresented sellers (72%) are slightly more likely than represented sellers (68%) to have regrets about their home sale, Clever Offers found.
The top regret for nontraditional sellers was that the process took more work than they anticipated.
Represented sellers had different frustrations, mainly around commission costs. About one in five said their agent’s fee was too high, but 82% still said a good agent is worth the cost.
Trust in traditional agents remains strong
Despite the rise of alternative selling platforms, most homeowners still see real estate agents as the safest bet.
Agents were ranked the most trusted method of selling a home by 87% of sellers. Cash-buying companies were the least trusted at 40%.
Even some who tried to go it alone later changed course. About 90% of sellers who hired an agent said they were glad they did after exploring other options.
Although some sellers regret how much they paid in commission, an overwhelming 82% said a good agent is worth every penny of the commission they charge.
