Working with a real estate agent in Houston can be great. When purchasing a home it is good to have experienced representation on your side.
You never know what might go wrong or what issues might come to light when buying a home.
You want a real estate agent who can navigate the varying circumstances that might arise.
However, representation comes at a price. Here are 5 hidden costs of working with a real estate agent you must know in Houston TX.
Picture Fees
The first hidden cost of working with a Houston real estate agent is picture fees. Your first meeting with your real estate agent, they may mention adding high-quality photos to your listing.
Pictures will increase the ability to sell your home and having professional pictures looks better than you taking them yourself.
They usually have a preferred or recommended photographer they work with and they trust, but having professional pictures taken of your property may cost more than you were expecting.
In Houston the cost ranges from $200 to $500 depending on square footage and other factors.
It is also preferred to have a wide-angle shot of all of the rooms, and a 360-degree photo if possible, that way it can be uploaded into a program to take a virtual tour of each room.
Real estate agents may also suggest having a virtual tour of your property done, especially during the COVID 19 pandemic. Many buyers are opting to stay at home and view properties.
So, the better your home looks online the higher potential you have of someone physically looking at your property.
The more features the photography package has will help sell your house faster. However, the higher features usually come with higher costs for you.
If you want to know some tips on how to sell your home during the COVID 19 crisis read this article.
Staging Fees
The second hidden cost of working with a Houston real estate agent is staging fees.
If you do not leave furnishings in your property when it is being marketed for sale, the real estate agent may suggest property staging.
This helps the potential buyer imagine themselves living or occupying this property and often sells the house quickly.
Its always an added bonus if potential buyers can envisions what the home will look like with their furnishings.
If the realtor is not experienced enough or does not have time to stage properties themselves, they will often suggest a professional interior design service to stage the house for you.
You will often have to rent or even purchase the furniture and decor they plan to use to stage your property.
This all depends, of course, on the value of the property. Usually, the more expensive the property, the more likely you will be encouraged to have it staged.
When working with staging companies the cost will vary based on design and rental duration.
Curb Appeal
The third hidden cost of working with a Houston real estate agent is curb appeal.
Real estate agents will often suggest improving the curb appeal of the property. Your property will most likely sell faster because of the enhanced beauty of a fresh coat of paint and some new pops of color in the flower beds complete with new mulch, but all of this adds up.
Painting a home, adding new plants and mulch, pressure washing the driveway, and other visual improvements will cost hundreds of dollars.
It will add a great look to your home when potential buyers stop by but at a cost to you.
Property Inspections and Surveys
The fourth hidden cost of working with a Houston real estate agent is a property inspection or survey.
Many real estate agents like to entice buyers with these extra perks in the listing.
Having a recent property inspection or survey is a great selling tool, especially if the property has no major issues or property line encroachments.
This will give buyers the confidence to submit good offers, but it will cost you a few hundred dollars.
Real Estate Commission
The fifth hidden cost of working with a Houston real estate agent is their commission.
This, of course, is negotiated at the time of signing the listing agreement, but it’s easy to forget about it while your property is being marketed.
You may not truly feel the impact of the brokerage fees until it’s time to sign the closing papers.
Here you see all of your fees taken out of your sale proceeds, this will include the brokerage commission and may also include any inspections or reports pulled on your property that you agreed to pay for.
Note: If you are considering for sale by owner read this article for information.
In Texas, you are responsible for paying both the seller and buyer commissions, which normally cost around 6% of the sale price.
Conclusion
There are 5 hidden costs of working with a real estate agent you must know in Houston TX.
It is great to have a good real estate agent with you when purchasing a property. But you must understand that many of the benefits of having an agent will come at a cost to you.
WOULDN’T YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT AN AGENT IS CHARGING YOU?