What Does a Realtor Do for Sellers? Key Roles and Responsibilities

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Moving is considered a major life event, and selling a house is one of the biggest financial transactions most people will make. Every home sale is unique, with some transactions going smoothly while others encounter more roadblocks. Hiring a skilled real estate agent can streamline the process and make it easier to overcome hurdles. While your listing agent cannot guarantee that the process will be perfectly smooth, they can use their experience and problem-solving skills to help close the deal. 

More people than ever are choosing to work with real estate agents instead of representing themselves. In 2024, only 7% of home sales were listed as For Sale by Owner (FSBO). Of these FSBO listings, 40% were because the homeowners were selling directly to friends, relatives, or neighbors. FSBO listings typically sell for less, with a median sale price of $380,000 compared to $435,000 for agent-represented home sales. 

Hiring a listing agent to sell your house is a sound financial decision and can make the process easier. But what does a Realtor do for sellers, and how do they help with the home sale? Let’s dive in and make this process transparent.

What Does a Seller’s Agent Do? 

Real estate agents assist homeowners from the moment they decide to sell their homes until they move out. They use their expertise to prepare the listing, market the home, negotiate deals, and assist with the closing. However, most homeowners don’t see all of the work their listing agent does to sell the home.

“A Realtor helps sellers price their home accurately, market it effectively, and negotiate the best possible terms,” says John Salkowski at The JRS Realty Group in Trappe, Pennsylvania. “From professional photography and staging advice to handling showings, offers, and contracts, I manage every detail to reduce stress and save you time. My goal is to position your home for maximum exposure and ensure you achieve the best outcome.”

Here is a behind-the-scenes list of all the tasks real estate agents complete during the home sale process.

Pre-Listing Services

The home sale starts long before the yard sign goes up. Real estate agents evaluate the property to identify its fair market value and make recommendations for sellers to market the home. Depending on the homeowner’s timeline, a seller can list a property within a few days of seeing the house. In some cases, however, the seller might make repairs and improvements to the property before putting it on the market.

Here are a few pre-listing tasks that are common for real estate agents. 

• Creating a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) of recently sold homes to determine the optimal listing price.
• Offering home preparation recommendations and staging guidance.
• Scheduling professional photography and virtual tour filming sessions. 
• Developing a marketing strategy tailored to the property.

Active Marketing Phase

Once a homeowner is ready to sell and the property is in the best possible condition for listing, the house can go live on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). From there, the listing agent will do everything they can to attract potential buyers to the home. The more buyers they can bring through the door, the greater the chance that the seller will receive offers on the home.

Here are a few ways that real estate agents market a property.

• Syndicating MLS listings to 100+ real estate websites.
• Developing social media marketing and targeted advertising campaigns.
• Tapping into agent network promotion and broker tour coordination.
• Planning and hosting open houses. 
• Managing private showings and buyer vetting. 

Talk to your real estate agent about any best practices ahead of open houses or showings. They will provide advice on everything from turning on the lights to the right temperature to make the house seem inviting.

You can also review any concerns you have, like needing enough notice to secure pets and get kids out of the house. While real estate agents have a set of best practices for marketing a home, they can adjust their plans based on your needs.

Negotiation and Contract Management

If any potential buyers are interested in your property, they will submit an offer through the buyer’s agent. This is when the negotiating starts for the real estate deal. The buyers will likely have contingencies that need to be met, including stipulations related to home inspections and financing. Your Realtor selling the home should work closely with the buyer’s agent throughout this process until the closing date. 

“A Realtor serves as the seller’s tour guide to settlement. First as an advisor and then as an advocate,” says Aaron Gray, a Realtor at Century 21 in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania.

Here is how your real estate agent should help you during this time. 

• Offering evaluation and strategic negotiation guidance.
• Helping you manage multiple offers.
• Preparing contracts and navigating contingencies. 
• Helping with inspection negotiation and repair coordination.
• Appraisal management and value justification.

This can be one of the most difficult parts of the real estate transaction. Some buyers might have several contingencies that need to be met, and sellers need to decide if they are willing to agree to them or if they want to walk away from the deal.

Closing Coordination

Finally, your listing agent should assist with the closing process. They will work to make sure the deal is closed within a reasonable time, based on your needs, the buyer’s goals, and the mortgage lender. They will also make sure all essential parties are involved ahead of the closing day. 

Here are a few essential closing tasks. 

• Managing timelines and deadlines. 
• Preparing documents and disclosures. 
• Coordinating with vendors (title company, escrow, attorneys).
• Supervising the final walkthrough. 
• Providing support on closing day.

Real estate agents help sellers save time by navigating complex legal hurdles and gathering the proper documentation for the home sale. They also offer their experience when it comes to negotiating and handling such a large transaction. Selling a house would be a much larger task if homeowners had to do it alone. 

>>READ MORE: The Steps Realtors Take to Sell Your Home

How Much Value Does a Realtor Actually Add?

Most sellers don’t see all of the work their real estate agent does for them. Experienced Realtors work diligently to find comparable properties, assemble marketing strategies, and review contracts. Sellers often just see the finished products once all of the hard work is complete. 

“A Realtor doesn’t just list your home, they position it to sell for the highest possible price in the shortest time,” says Paul Wheeler, owner/broker of Accent Realtors in Tulsa, Oklahoma. “From pricing strategy and marketing to negotiation and closing, they have the expertise and training to handle every detail.”

Real estate agents provide a significant amount of value during the home sale process. Here are a few ways your listing agent helps you save money and time.

Financial Benefits

One of the main reasons why homeowners consider the FSBO route is to save money. They worry about the cost of commissions for both the listing agent and the buyer’s agent. However, homes listed as FSBO sell for $55,000 less on average.

Not only do FSBO listings sell for less, but homeowners usually still have to pay the buyer’s agent for their services. Instead of saving 6% on commissions on average, they likely only save 3%. 

Hiring a seller’s agent benefits homeowners in other ways. Your listing agent will conduct a comparative market analysis to identify the fair market value of your home. This ensures you don’t overprice the property, driving away potential buyers and slowing the home sale, or underprice the property, leaving money on the table. 

Your real estate agent will also bring their negotiating skills to the table. They may be able to help you save money by negotiating with buyers. Instead of conceding a lower sale price, you can reach a fair number that everyone is happy with.

Time and Convenience Value

Your listing agent is also an asset in time savings. Some agents work more than 100 hours to help sellers with their homes. They can also be at your home when you are not there. Your agent will represent you during showings, open houses, inspections, and appraisals. 

Not only can your real estate agent help you save time, but they can also overcome difficult conversations and negotiations by being an objective third party. Selling a home is an incredibly personal process because of all the memories in the property. Your listing agent does not have the same passions and emotions that you do. They can handle business conversations objectively. 

If your buyers are difficult, your agent can take care of the problems themselves. This is one of the main benefits they provide in the real estate industry.

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Risk Mitigation

A seller’s agent is also responsible for risk mitigation in a real estate transaction. They understand the legal nuances that come with buying and selling property. Topics like disclosure forms, statutes of limitations, and seller protections are concepts they deal with every day. You don’t have to be an expert on lead-based paint disclosure if your Realtor is.

Not only do agents need to understand these concepts, but they also need to create a document trail that protects sellers. This can protect their clients from liability throughout the home sale and beyond. 

At their core, real estate agents are problem solvers. Their job is to help two parties come to an agreement in the home sale and eliminate roadblocks or issues so everyone is happy. You might be surprised at the solutions your agent comes up with.

Market Expertise Benefits

Hiring a listing agent also gives you access to their years of expertise. They have likely followed local market trends for a long time and are aware of any changing tides. Your agents may advise you on the best time to list your home in order to attract the most interest and potentially gain multiple offers. 

Tap into their expertise to understand how to reach potential home buyers who are specifically interested in your neighborhood. This can help streamline the home sale so your home doesn’t linger on the market. 

The intangible perks of hiring Realtors, like market expertise and risk mitigation, also have real financial benefits. For example, negotiating with buyers to close the deal will prevent the house from being relisted. Better marketing can result in more offers and bids coming in sooner. Both of these actions mean sellers can close faster and save money by not having to cover the costs of the house they are currently in. Hiring the right real estate agent might even save you a mortgage payment or two on your current home due to good marketing and time management.

Questions to Ask Your Local Agent When Selling

There are likely several real estate professionals in your area to choose from. However, you need to find the right seller’s agent to meet your needs. This local agent needs to be good at their job but also have the type of personality that you enjoy working with. Most sellers speak to their real estate agents daily throughout the home sale process. It helps if you both get along. 

“A great Realtor blends, compassion, empathy and expertise,” says Gail Carillo, Coldwell Banker American Homes in Ronkonkoma, New York. “Selling a home is more than a transaction, it’s often an emotional journey and it takes all three qualities to guide a homeowner smoothly and successfully over the finish line.”

At FastExpert, we recommend interviewing at least three real estate agents before choosing the right one. This allows you to gain insight from multiple professionals and better understand your hiring options. Here are a few questions you can ask potential agents that you interview. 

• What’s your average days on market versus the area average?
• What’s your typical sale-to-list price ratio?
• How many homes have you sold in my neighborhood?
• What’s your marketing strategy for my specific property?
• How will you price my home competitively?
• What’s your communication style and availability?

You can also ask potential agents about their communication best practices and how they will reach out to you. Some Realtors prefer phone calls, while others will email or text. 

The selling process usually kicks off with an interview in your home. This allows the agent to look at your property and consider how they will market it. Bringing in multiple real estate agents can also help you get different perspectives on how to stage and promote your house. Different agents might also offer suggestions on repairs and upgrades that can make the property more desirable to potential buyers.

Red Flags to Avoid in a Listing Agent

Hiring the right Realtor is an important part of the home-selling journey. Here are a few red flags you should look out for when talking to prospective realtors. Knowing what to avoid can help you find other agents that are a better fit. 

• Agents who promise unrealistic prices: Some Realtors will promise overly high amounts to win customers. Make sure your real estate agent shows you the comparable sales that back up their listing estimate. 
• Limited recent sales experience in your market: Every market is different, with trends changing by neighborhood. Look for an agent who is familiar with your area. 
• Poor communication or delayed responses: This applies to hiring both a listing agent and the buyer’s agent. Make sure the Realtor responds quickly, and in the way you prefer. 
• Lack of professional marketing materials: Your Realtor should come prepared to your first meeting. They should have a CMA, an online marketing strategy, and the ability to walk through the entire process with you. 
• No clear pricing or marketing strategy: Experienced real estate agents will do their research before meeting you. 
• Pressure to accept low offers quickly: Your real estate agent should never pressure you to do anything. Their job is to present information that you can use to make the best possible decision based on your needs. Do not hire an agent who pressures you to work with them because they will try to force your hand and other parts of the home sale process.

This is another reason why personality is an important aspect of the real estate agent hiring process. If a Realtor is a bad personality fit, it could be your gut warning you not to hire that person.

Can a Realtor Represent Both the Seller and Buyer?

As you talk to various Realtors, ask about dual agency in your state. Dual agency is when a single Realtor represents both the seller and the buyer. In this case, the agent that lists your house, then brings in potential buyers who also work with the agent.  

Dual agency is illegal in eight states. If you are selling a house in Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Texas, Vermont, or Wyoming, your agent cannot represent you and bring in other buyers that they represent. Outside of those states, Dual agency is legal and is considered ethical. 

That said, your Realtor should be transparent about representing both you and the buyer during the offer process. Some sellers or buyers do not like dual agency because they feel that the agent cannot be objective. There are concerns that the realtor may favor one party over the other. However, if all parties agree to let the agent represent them, and dual agency is legal where you are, you can move forward with the deal.

If you do not want your agent to represent both you and your buyers, talk to the brokerage they work with. The broker may be able to assign another Realtor to help you.

>>DISCOVER: Ultimate Guide to Closing Costs

Work with FastExpert for Selling Success

There are multiple ways to search for agents in your area, but FastExpert makes it easy to find Realtors who can streamline the selling process. It’s easy to find local agents who have experience with home sellers in your area. The Realtors you meet with will pull suitable properties for your CMA and offer expert advice until you reach the closing table. From handling prospective buyers to showcasing your high property values, a real estate agent selected by FastExpert can help you get the best price for your home. 

FastExpert also makes it easy to compare agents. You not required to submit any personal information and can review different profiles until you find the Realtors you want to contact. You decide who you reach out to and who you hire. There is never any pressure to hire specific agents. Choose the expert who is right for your home. 

Try FastExpert today and take the first steps to listing your property. Your next chapter is ahead of you, and it is bright.