Realtor or no Realtor?

[Samuel DeMass]

I have always been a fan of the NAR. I've had a couple great agents in the past that really helped guide me and grow in my real estate venture. However, now that I have a pretty solid footing, I'm not sure that I need that person any more. However, with 6% off the top of any deal I'm trying to execute, is it worth it?

Alternatively, I have considered getting my real estate licence so that I can, at a minimum, capture 3% on my future dealings, and maybe even help other investors get their feet on solid ground.

Thoughts? 

[Hattie Dizmond]

What's your strategy?  Is it Buy & Hold or Fix & Flip?  And, how are you finding your properties?

I'm in DFW. Inventory is so low and the market so hot that the MLS is useless, unless you're doing buy & hold. You have to do off-market here to get deals for F&F or wholesale. Understanding that, if I'm doing F&F, I only have to worry about commissions on the exit. The market is currently hot enough, particularly in the neighborhoods I'm farming, that you barely have to put a sign out to sell a home, so I only have to worry about the end buyer's agent commission at 3%. That's the max I'm going to pay, and I'm going to build that into the bottom number I'm going to take for the property.

If you have to worry about marketing your property to sell in your market, I would ask myself what kind of marketer am I?  How much longer will I have to hold a property if I sell it myself, instead of listing it with a realtor?  Let's say it will take you 4 - 6 weeks longer to sell than a realtor.  How do your holding costs & the cost of your time (showing, marketing, etc.) compare to the commission?