You want to sell your house and walk away with money in your pocket. But here’s something many sellers don’t realize: selling your home can actually cost you money. In this blog post, we break down the different fees you may pay when working with an agent versus selling directly to an investor…
It’s true… selling your house can sometimes mean paying out of pocket. (It doesn’t always happen, but it often does.) We want to make sure you understand the fees involved so you can make the best decision—whether that’s listing with an agent or selling your house directly to an investor.
What Are The Different Fees Paid To Agents Versus Paid To Investors? — Agent Fees
An agent is essentially a salesperson who works to find a buyer for your home. To do that, they’ll list your property on a listing service and use various marketing strategies to attract potential buyers.
That means you’ll be responsible for paying certain fees to the agent. The biggest one is the commission—typically around 6% of the sale price, which works out to about $6,000 on a $100,000 home. On top of that, there may be additional costs like advertising fees, brokerage fees, listing fees, signage fees, and title company charges. The list can add up quickly. Your agent should be upfront about all of these, so don’t hesitate to ask.
What Are The Different Fees Paid To Agents Versus Paid To Investors? — Investor Fees
This is the part that catches most sellers off guard: when you sell to an investor, there are rarely any fees to worry about. Investors typically cover all costs associated with the sale, and since they’re not agents, there’s no commission involved. Closing costs may or may not be included depending on the investor, so it’s always a good idea to ask upfront who handles those.
The One “Fee” You May Not Be Thinking Of
There’s one more hidden cost worth considering: when you list with an agent, you’ll likely be asked to make repairs or updates—and while your house sits on the market, you’re still paying bills, taxes, and carrying costs. It’s not a fee paid directly to the agent, but it’s a real expense tied to that process. Selling to an investor means a faster closing, which means you stop paying those costs sooner.
So which path is right for you? It really comes down to how much you’re willing to spend and how quickly you need to move on.
If you’d like to go over everything in more detail—or simply confirm that selling to us comes with zero fees—reach out and we’ll gladly walk you through the entire process, step by step.