Should You Hire a Real Estate Consultant Before Selling Your Home?
Everybody has heard of realtors and real estate agents, but every once in a while you come across the so called ‘real estate consultant’. Who is that, what to do they do, & why should you even care? Let’s cover the facts and everything you need to know about real estate consultants so that you know exactly who to hire to get the best results when selling your precious home!
What is a Real Estate Consultant
To put it in the most simple terms, a real estate consultant is essentially the branding of a real estate agent. This is primarily because the name real estate agents or realtors have negative connotations to other occupations such as salesman. Agents are often seen as extremely pushy, money hungry, and cold hearted salesman that will do anything to get a commission check. To avoid this awful branding, agents will use other terms such as real estate advisor or real estate consultant to differentiate themselves from the herd.
Although this may seem like a foul & misleading practice, it’s not entirely bad. Agents who pride themselves on being real estate consultants or advisors are often more focused on the consulting aspect of their business. Meaning they have literally try to take on the role they aspire to be. The practice occurs in nearly all markets, including hot markets such as San Gabriel & the San Gabriel Valley. This results in a sales process that feels more natural & less pressuring for the clients, which ultimately, nobody is going to be mad about. Nonetheless, there will always be a group of ill-intent individuals who will try to use this name & branding of consultant to try & pressure down sellers to sell their home with them. This does take place in every market, however the vast majority of realtors who brand themselves as real estate consultants often see their clients receive a better experience working with them than the typical realtor or real estate agent.
What do Real Estate consultants do?
Real estate consultants do almost the exact same thing as regular real estate agents, but with some nuances. The typical real estate consultant will prioritize the consulting aspect of the process. Therefore their approach is typically guided by open ended questions and low pressure tactics. They do not believe in leaving every appointment with a signed contract. Instead, the goal of a real estate consultant is to open the eyes of the client to the potential upside or downside of their actions, and to guide their clients towards decisions that will ultimately benefit them moving forward.
You can expect a real estate consultant to still deliver on the marketing of your home when listed on the market. Other than the aspect of how they do their business, they still do the same things every other agent does. So it ultimately depends on what experience the client wants to have.
The benefits of real estate consultants
What you get by using one
Working with real estate consultants gives you the strategic guidance to properly price and market your home. Instead of pushing a quick sale, a true real estate consultant focuses on pricing accuracy, market timing, buyer marketing, and preparation strategy to ensure top dollar. This consultative approach leads to low-pressure communication, clearer expectations, and a smoother overall experience. Like regular agents, real estate consultants focus on avoiding emotional pricing homes and are more data driven when it comes to list price. However, the difference between a regular agent and a real estate consultant is how this news is delivered. Consultants focus on being honest and not afraid of telling bad news if a homeowner has unrealistic price expectations. On the other hand, the typical realtor is quite blunt, often arguing with homeowners that unless the home is priced lower, the home just won’t sell.
What happens if you don't use any real estate consultant or agent
This is what we would call a For Sale by Owner, or F.S.B.O. for short. Essentially the homeowner avoids paying the listing agent’s commision in hopes of a bigger net profit. However this is rarely the case, and the statistics back it up.
For starters, only a small fraction of sellers choose this path. According to recent data from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), just 6–7% of U.S. home sales are FSBO — the rest (about 90-91%) use an agent.
When FSBO sellers skip using realtors, their homes consistently sell for less. NAR’s 2023 and 2024 data shows that the median sale price for FSBO homes was roughly $380,000, compared with about $435,000 for agent-assisted sales — that’s a $55,000 difference.
On top of lower sale prices, FSBO listings tend to struggle with pricing accuracy, marketing reach, paperwork, and timing. Many FSBO sellers misprice their home, choose limited marketing methods (like yard signs or word-of-mouth), or underestimate the time and effort needed to find a buyer — all of which can lead to longer time on market, repeated price reductions, or eventual decision to re-list with an agent.
In short: going it alone can cost you — both in final sale price and in time, effort, and risk — compared with using professional guidance from a real estate consultant or agent
FAQs
What's the difference between a realtor & broker?
There is almost no difference between a realtor & a broker, other than a fancy title. Broker’s must go through additional testing, however the primary benefit is that it allows the licensee to start their own brokerage, as a broker’s license is required. However for regular transactions, there is almost no difference between using a broker or a realtor.
What to do before calling a realtor to sell?
You should first discuss with your family to make sure everybody is one the same page of selling. Once you bring in a realtor everything will start to move fast, you don’t want to have doubts or regrets the second after you meet with a realtor. Make up your mind before making that call.
What not to tell your realtor when selling?
I would argue that it’s most important to tell your realtor everything you know when selling your home. From deaths on the property to any defects that you are aware of, the more information you can equip the realtor with, the better their understanding of your home, and thus, their ability to market/sell the property. Try not to withhold any information purposefully as it may backfire against you.
📍 Final Thoughts from a Local Realtor
At the end of the day, no matter who you go to, real estate agents and consultants all do one thing, buy and sell real estate.
The question is, how do you want your experience to feel like… Choosing a real estate consultant is best for individuals who want to feel empowered and to choose their own decisions for themselves.
Have questions about specific neighborhoods, I’d love to help.
