If you’re looking to sell your house or investment property in Somerville without using a real estate agent, we can help.
Although we have a real estate brokerage arm, we agree that sometimes it’s best to avoid paying someone to be in the middle.
After all, paying 5-6% of the sale price of a property in commission is a significant amount of money. In certain situations, MA brokers and real estate agents can be beneficial and earn their commission.
How Do I Sell My House Without an Agent in Somerville?
When selling your home in Somerville, understanding how real estate commissions work can save you thousands. Traditionally, sellers were expected to cover both their listing agent’s commission and the buyer’s agent’s commission—often splitting the total fee 50/50. But recently, industry rules have shifted, and you now have the option to negotiate.
That said, it’s important to recognize the trade-offs. If you choose not to offer compensation for the buyer’s broker, your home may attract fewer potential buyers. Many buyers are reluctant to pay their agent directly, which means their agents may not prioritize showing your property. While you can reduce commission costs, balancing savings with market exposure is key to getting the best price for your home.
Doesn’t make much sense, right?
Why should you pay for the agent on the other side of the table?
Truthfully, it defies logic – it’s just what’s typically done.
You can use that to your advantage in a few ways.
First, factor in the commissions paid when you’re looking at the comparable sales. If the properties similar to yours sold for prices that included commissions, take that into account.
Don’t underprice your property – be aware that a savvy buyer may expect to take a discount too. If you’re doing the work of one agent, you can expect to save that money.
Sometimes in Somerville, buyers who aren’t represented by an agent won’t remember to negotiate the buyer’s side commission out of the price for themselves, so don’t remind them if you don’t want to pay them. Just don’t be surprised if it comes up during the negotiation.
You may want to consider offering 2.5% to buyer’s agents who will bring their clients to show your property. Sure, it’s a lot of money. If you’re pricing your property including that commission, you can always negotiate a better deal for a purchaser who comes without an agent.
On the other hand, if you don’t leave room for the buyer’s agent’s commission, you’ll be excluding most of the buyers in the market in Somerville.
Over 90% of transactions happen through the MLS – that’s the Multiple Listing Service. It’s the main database that all the brokers in Somerville use to access information for their clients on the houses, condos, land and investment properties for sale, along with data on the sold prices.
Once upon a time, you had to pay a full commission to get your property on the MLS. Now in Somerville, there are a few brokers who will charge you a fee just to list your property on the MLS. Often, you spend a few hundred bucks and you only pay a commission if the sale closes.
Compared to the cost of a newspaper ad, the MLS is a cheap way to market your property to a very wide audience.
All the major real estate search sites like Realtor.com, Zillow, Yahoo Homes, etc. get data from the MLS. Chances are good that when you submit your listing in Somerville to the MLS, information on your property will end up on most of the major sites within a few days.
Each of those sites sells ads. They’ve got packages that let you pay to enhance your listing, feature it at the top of the search, and a lot of other bells and whistles that might or might not get an interested buyer to buy your property.
Advertising is a gamble. Sometimes open houses in Somerville MA can be a great way to sell a property, and sometimes they’re a waste of time. Same with newspaper ads, craigslist postings, fancy signs – sometimes they work, and sometimes they don’t.
To effectively sell your property on your own, you have to market it well.
Putting up fliers and signs around your neighborhood can generate some calls, and there’s a lot of free websites where you can post information. But often just putting up flyers and an open house isn’t enough if your house doesn’t appeal to the average home buyer.
In theory, real estate agents charge big commissions because they have to spend a lot of money up front to advertise your property. By advertising lots of properties at once, they expect to get more phone calls – and obviously, they’ll make good profits by selling lots of houses.
Certain properties might require thousands of dollars in advertising expenses before the right buyer happens to see the ad and call.
If you want to avoid paying any commissions, you can also sell your house to investors like us for CASH
At our core, we focus on providing homeowners in Somerville with a simple, stress-free way to sell their property. We offer fair cash prices for houses, and in many cases, we can close in as little as 1–2 weeks. Whether you’re facing a difficult situation, need to relocate quickly, or simply want a fast, hassle-free sale without paying commissions, our process is designed to put you in control.
What sets us apart from traditional buyers is what happens after the sale. Sometimes we purchase Somerville houses, renovate them, and add them to our long-term rental portfolio. This allows us to provide quality housing options for local families while strengthening the rental market. Other times, we fully remodel properties and transform them into updated, modern condo units that are sold to buyers looking to stay and invest in the area.
No matter the path, our goal is always the same: to add value back into the neighborhoods we work in. We’re not just buying houses—we’re improving communities, supporting the local housing market, and helping create opportunities for homeowners, renters, and future buyers.
Unlike large national companies that see homes as numbers on a spreadsheet, we’re proud to be local investors who care deeply about Somerville and its people. Every property we buy is part of a bigger mission to build stronger neighborhoods and keep Somerville thriving. If you’re considering selling your home in MA, we’d love to talk with you and show you how easy it can be to work with investors who put community first.
We close fast and pay cash in as little as just 1-2 weeks. Give us a call now at (617) 401-9339 or fill out the short form over here.