Real Estate Article: Is it a good idea to hire a friend to sell your home?
06/12/2006

     Lately I have acquired many clients who have their own real estate licenses. You are probably a little puzzled at why they would request that I sell their properties when legally they can do it themselves. The reason is because they feel that they are inadequately experienced to do so. It is more worth it to pay for the services of a professional to sell their home more quickly, efficiently, and for a better price. This brings up a key concern in today’s real estate world; a real estate license is too common. Most people know either a friend or relative who has a license. Is it a good idea to employ their services?

     In California there are an estimated 400,000 licensed real estate agents. Since the population is overly saturated with licenses, I’m sure most of you have been requested to turn to a friend, relative, or neighbor when you need to buy or sell a home. Is utilizing a connection more of an advantage or rather a disadvantage? Of course both exist. The greatest benefit is that you are acquainted with this person and you might have a good idea of what their work ethics are. This knowledge can help determine whether or not to entrust this person with the responsibility of selling your house. One of the cons is that your personal relationship with this person might conflict with your business relationship. From the feedback that I received, it is evident that there are more negatives than positives. Most people see handing a sale over to a friend or family member as a favor. What they don’t foresee is the multiple issues that arise when doing so. Let’s say that their work is unsatisfactory. Do you approach them as a friend or strictly from a business point of view? From what I’ve heard most people who refer to a friend for a transaction end up unhappy. The result is that you tried to do someone a favor and may end up unsatisfied or having lost a friend.

     Why would your relationship go sour? The answer is that a personal relationship generates increased sensitivity when discussing business matters. If you have certain expectations as a client that they cannot fulfill, they might feel that you’re putting too much pressure on them. You, in turn, might feel as if they aren’t treating you with as much respect as a typical client. It’s always best not to mix business with personal relationships. At the end of the whole ordeal, if the property remains unsold, your friendship may very well go sour. It is only wise to let a friend sell your property when you are absolutely sure they know what they’re doing and can do a good job.

     Recently I had a client who is an experienced loan broker. He had a house he wanted to sell and decided to sell it himself. He gave up after keeping the property on the market for five months. Then he asked for my help. After going over our plan for advertisements, marketing, etc. he realized that he should have hired an agent in the first place. As a professional, the strategies we use are completely different from those of an inexperienced realtor. Selling a house requires much more than merely putting up a For Sale sign and waiting for the right buyer to see it.

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