The Difference Between Selling to an Investor VS. with an Agent

December 15, 2016

There are some agents that are investors and some investors that are agents. If you’re reading this post it probably means you are looking to sell fast for as much in your pocket at closing as possible. You may have weighed the costs of paying a real estate agent’s commission and selling for a little cheaper straight out to an investor.

I’ve seen lots of real estate agents that do a little investing on the side and investors that have their real estate license should they need it. But really what’s the difference when it comes to the homeowner needing to sell?

A real estate agent or broker (also referred to as a Realtor® in some cases even though this is a certification that not all agents and brokers need to have) must be licensed. They must have completed the real estate course and passed the test in order to be an agent. Becoming a broker is a further test after an agent has been licensed for at least two years. Brokers can open their own brokerages or work for another broker; agents must work under an existing brokerage.

An investor is simply someone that buys and sells properties for a profit. I know, sounds a lot like a real estate agent but unlike an agent, the investor receives his profit from the sale of the property regardless of how much that is and an agent or broker receives a commission based on a percentage previously agreed upon from the sale price of the property. The real estate agent or broker gets paid when the property sells, the investor gets paid once the property is fixed up and sells. Depending on the market, the upgrades and condition of the property at the time of purchase and the time of sale, it could be a lot of money.

If you sell to an investor you won’t have to do any fix-ups and you won’t have to pay a real estate agent a commission for selling the property. If you sell using an agent, there is no guarantee you will find a buyer. If you do, the home inspection process may prompt the buyer to require certain repairs before they finalize the purchase. You may or may not be able to sell with an agent and you still would have to do some repairs.

But can’t I list the property “as-is”?

Yes, you can. But, buyers can still ask for things and if those items are not repaired, you may sit on the market for a long time. I’ve seen this before where homeowners want to sell for more so they list with an agent but then they don’t make any repairs or necessary updates and the house sits on the market so long that the price drops and drops to the point where they are losing money now AND they still have to pay the Realtor’s® commission!

Selling to an investor may not provide you with the same profit as selling with an agent but then again, if you save the commission fees AND can sell outright as-is, it’s really a better deal all around.

Do you have a home that you need to sell and you don’t want to mess with an agent, commission or repairing anything? Call me now. You might be pleasantly surprised as to the profit you receive and the load of stress off your plate.

[Read More: Why Sell to an Investor?]

We Buy Houses in Stockton, Sacramento & Modesto

I Buy Houses Stockton Introduction (209) 481-7780 We buy Houses Stockton

My name is Peter Westbrook and I am a local real estate investor and the owner of We Buy Houses Sacramento and Westbrook Real Estate Investments. I am NOT a Real Estate Agent or Broker and for good reason. I purchase real estate and I am NOT going to ask you to pay a commission or a fee.…I pay CASH and because I do, I can close on the day that I tell you.

For those of you that already know me or have already called me you can attest that I answer my own phone and I return all phone calls. When you call me at 209-481-7780 you are calling me on the same number that my mother and my closest friends call me at.

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Hear What Others Have To Say…

The City of Stockton was getting ready to tear down my old house. I was no longer able to maintain the Stockton House and after years of trying to keep up with code violations, needed repairs and vandalism, I finally called Peter

Westbrook. He came right out and told me what he could do. He contacted the city and county and even cleaned up the property before he bought it. He paid the back taxes for me and gave me an advance on the purchase of the house. Without his help I would have lost everything. I called real estate agents and other investors but no one wanted to help and no one offered to pay as much as Peter Westbrook. He completely remodeled the house and I smile every time I go by. Thank you Peter.

Leonard S

We inherited our parents house with one of our brothers living there . The property taxes had not been paid and it was in Tax default. We called Peter Westbrook and he found that the title was still in our parents name, so the Stockton House never went through probate. Peter also found that there was an old auto loan that had a lien on the

title and an old bankruptcy ruling to take care of that lien had never been filed with the courts. Peter handled everything including paying the back taxes, paying for the hiring a Probate Attorney and filing the probate and paying for and hiring a Bankruptcy Attorney to finalize the removal of the lien. He was patient, understanding and he took care of everything including evicting the tenants that were living in the house. We talked to real estate agents and other I buy house people. None of them had the answers for our situation. Without peter we would have lost everything. We got paid cash.

Steve H

We inherited my parents Stockton house with a mortgage. We decided to rent it out. The tenants destroyed the house. I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t have the money to fix it and the city had already issued code violations.. I called an “I Buy Houses Stockton Sign” on a telephone pole and Peter Westbrook answered. In 4 days he paid the bank and bought my house. We would have lost everything if it weren’t for Peter Westbrook.

Mike B

I inherited my mothers house with a mortgage. When my husband and I lost our jobs, we got behind in payments. Then the Bank posted a default with a auction date we didn’t know what to do.

We didn’t have the $15,000.00 and we only had two weeks to do something. We called Peter Westbrook and form the beginning he was confident he could stop the bank. Within 4 days he bought the house with cash, paid off the bank and stopped the Foreclosure. Without Peter we would have lost everything.

Brenda T

I saw a sign on a telephone pole and against my better judgement I called. The last thing I expected was a person answering the phone. I was surprised, Peter Westbrook answered the phone. I had a lot of questions and Peter had the right answers. My mother needed to get as much as possible out of the house and we had talked to several real estate agents and they all wanted to sell it cheap and wanted a 6% commission. They all told us unless we put thousands of dollars into it could not be sold for what we wanted. Not Peter. He made a fair cash offer and since then we have sold him another house. Peter and the title company handled everything. I couldn’t be happier and I would recommend Peter Westbrook to anyone.

Cathy W

I needed to sell my Stockton House. I called a phone number I saw on a sign and talked to Peter Westbrook. The City of Stockton said that they were going to take away my vacant Stockton house, knock it down and send me the

bill to do it. I did everything that I could to try to make them happy. A neighbor offered to buy the house and then Peter offered me twice as much. He did everything he said he would do and I just had to go to the Title Company and sign the papers. He did all of the work and now the City of Stockton is his problem. Thank you Peter.

Ann C

I inherited my Fathers Stockton house. The front porch was falling in, the walls had holes from being vacant and vandalized. The City of Stockton fined us, red tagged the property and forced us to put on a new roof so we had to get loans and we still couldn’t rent it out.

I called one of those “I Buy Houses” signs and Peter Westbrook came out and made a cash offer. The House closed escrow and we got our money for a house we though was worthless. Thanks Peter!”

Broderick R.

“Our Grandfather passed away and my brother, sister and I inherited his Stockton house. He was a junkman and hoarder. He was also 90 years old and had not made a repair to the house in years. He had garage sales almost every day. The house and the yard were full of junk. We tried to get everything out so we could just see the house. We had family and friends come over on the weekends but the cost and effort was consuming all of our time.The house was a mess.

I called Peter Westbrook and he made us a cash offer for the house and he said he would take care of all of the clean up. Thank God I called. The City had issued code violations and fines on the property and even before we closed escrow Peter and his crew had the house and yard cleaned (4 large Dumpsters later) . I recommend Peter Westbrook to anyone that has a problem house. They were fast and professional”

Connie J.

“I had tried to sell my Mothers Stockton house for two years. Realtor’s told me to tear it down. I didn’t have the money for that and my Brother and his family were living there. Peter Westbrook made me a cash offer and closed escrow with my brother still in the house. Peter Westbrook is my savior. I don’t have to worry about the house any more. If you have a Stockton house that has become a burden and you don’t have the money to fix it to sell it, call Peter Westbrook.”

Rosemary R.

But can’t I list the property “as-is”?

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