Selling without an agent? Read this

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

The L.A. Times takes a look at the risks and rewards of selling your house without an agent, an evergreen topic in real estate that seems to be heating up as the market cools.

There seem to be two trends battling here: in a slow market, it’s harder to sell a house, so it makes sense to have professional help; but professional help doesn’t have the same informational advantages it used to: ‘Once a homeowner decides to sell, sites such as Zillow.com and Craigslist.com offer a free platform for consumers to advertise their properties, allowing them to reach potential buyers without the MLS. This is making it easier for consumers to educate themselves about their local housing market in a way unimaginable even five years ago.’

The first guy in the story sold his house in a hurry: Listed his South Pasadena house at $1.6 million to see if anyone would bite, and sold it two days later at the asking price. We originally saw these facts and wrote here that he ‘did very well for himself.’ But commenter Sean (see comments below), pointed out that the original asking price might have been way too low. You decide.

Your thoughts? Insights? Brilliant analysis?
Illustration credit: LATimes.com