Listing vs. a Direct Sale to a Real Estate Investor in Long Island

If you want to sell your house, should you list it with an agent, or should you sell directly to a real estate investor? The best answer is . . . it depends. Everyone’s situation is unique, and that’s what determines the best option. So let’s look at some of the pros and cons of listing vs. a direct sale to a real estate investor in Long Island.

Listing vs. a Direct Sale to a Real Estate Investor in Long Island

Listing With an Agent

The most popular way to sell a house in Long Island is through the traditional route that involves working with a real estate agent. Agents are educated in the process, know the market, and have access to MLSLI – the Multiple Listing Service specifically for Long Island. In a perfect world an agent can target a huge market of potential buyers, will handle the marketing, and can help you get the best price. One of the problems is that most agents sells only a couple of houses a year and work part-time on Real Estate. Getting the right agent is extremely important.

The primary cons of using an agent are that you will lose money in paying the agent’s commission and that the process can take a long time. Because most agents confine their marketing efforts to traditional marketing, selling your house could take anywhere from six months to a year. You will also have to endure multiple showings, and there’s always the chance that a sale will fall through because a buyer can’t get financing.

In addition to having to pay an agent’s commission out of the sale price, sellers often wind up having to pay part or all of the closing costs to close a deal. The upshot is that the sale price isn’t really the amount of money you will ultimately receive.

A Direct Sale To A Real Estate Investor

For many people considering listing vs. direct sale to a real estate investor in Long Island, the latter is often the better option. The chief benefits of selling directly to a real estate investor are the usual cash payment and the quick closing, often as little as just two weeks. Also, most investors will pay 100% of closing costs, and you won’t have to pay any commissions to agents.

In deciding between listing vs. direct sale to a real estate investor in Long Island, keep in mind that investors are buying houses in order to make a profit, either by flipping or renovating and renting. And this means that their goal is to buy discounted houses in order to realize an ROI. So your sale price when selling directly to an investor is likely to be lower than what you’d get when listing with an agent, but sometimes not as much as you think, especially if the house is not in the best of condition.

Carrying Costs

One thing to keep firmly in mind about listing vs. direct sale to a real estate investor in Long Island is the carrying costs when listing with an agent. These are the costs associated with owning and maintaining a house while you’re trying to sell it – for example mortgage payments, Long Island property taxes, utilities, insurance, and so on. Over a 6 month period, carrying costs can typically range from $7500 to $10,000. If you can sell and close the deal in 6 months. What happens if the appraisal doesn’t come in high enough, or one of the buyers gets laid off or the mortgage commitment is disapproved and you have to start over with a new buyer? You might end up holding it longer than you originally thought!

So although you may get a higher sale price by going through an agent, the whole process can take so long (up to a year in some cases) that your profit may be eaten up by these carrying costs. And although selling to an investor may mean a lower sale price, because it is much faster, you may ultimately walk away with more money in your pocket. An investor doesn’t find you a buyer like a real agent does,  they ARE the buyer. Investors also don’t need a mortgage commitment, an appraisal to come in high enough or anything fixed or repaired, houses are typically bought As-Is.

There are both pros and cons concerning listing vs. direct sale to a real estate investor in Long Island, and the best option depends on your unique situation and needs. If, however, you’re new to selling real estate, it may be difficult to make that determination.

That’s an area where the real estate investing professionals can provide some guidance. To discover more, give us a call at (516) 704-7025 or fill out the form.