Do I really need a realtor to sell my home?
No. Texas law does not require you to hire a real estate agent to sell your own house, and some owners sell to a neighbor, a relative or a tenant without one. What you give up is the work an agent does, and you take on all of it yourself.
Texas is a non-disclosure state, so sale prices are not part of the public record. Without access to the MLS, an owner has to price from list prices and online estimates, which can sit well above or below what homes on the street actually closed for.
- Pricing from closed sales, pending sales and current competition, not from asking prices
- Getting the home in front of the agents who are working with active buyers
- Scheduling showings, collecting feedback and screening buyers' financing
- Filling in the TREC One to Four Family Residential Contract and its addenda correctly
- Negotiating repairs after the inspection, the appraisal and the closing date
- Working with the title company, the buyer's lender and the buyer's agent until closing
If you already have a buyer, you may not need full marketing. Have a real estate attorney or an agent review the contract and title steps so a friendly sale stays friendly.
What does a listing agent actually do, and how do they find buyers?
A listing agent sets the price strategy, gets the home ready to show, markets it, handles every showing request and offer, and manages the contract through inspection, appraisal and closing. The visible part is photos and a sign. Most of the value is in the pricing, the negotiation and keeping a deal from falling apart.
Where buyers come from
- The local MLS, which feeds the listing to agents across North Texas and to the major home search websites
- Agents in the same brokerage: at Dave Perry-Miller a large share of sales happen between DPM agents, which is how some homes sell before or soon after they reach the market
- Luxury Portfolio, which shows Dave Perry-Miller listings to visitors from over 200 countries and territories in nine languages
- Direct calls to agents who have shown or sold similar homes nearby
- Open houses, signs, and the agent's own past clients and referral network
Most buyers in Dallas arrive with their own agent, so a listing agent's job is as much about reaching other agents as it is about reaching buyers directly. See homes Andy has sold across Dallas and the suburbs.
Who can help me sell my house in Dallas? How Andy and the GPS Group work
Andy Scott and the GPS Group help Dallas homeowners sell, buy, and move from one home to the next. GPS is a small, referral-based team at Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate in Preston Center: Andy Scott and Justin Reeves, with Mynetta Ragsdale as transaction coordinator. Almost all of Andy's business comes from referrals, because he takes care of clients for life.
Andy grew up in Dallas in a real estate family. His dad built custom homes and ranches, and from the 1970s through the 1990s he specialized in Preston Hollow and the Park Cities. His mom has been licensed since 1987. Andy has been licensed since 2005 and has more than 20 years in real estate. Before real estate, Andy worked in corporate leadership at high-tech companies and was a founding partner of a business software company, so pricing analysis and clear explanations come naturally.
If you are not ready to move yet
A realtor can help a year or more before you list. When I meet someone who is still deciding, we talk about what the home could sell for today, which repairs matter to buyers in that price range and which do not, and what timing fits the next home. There is no obligation, and the plan is yours to keep.
Dave Perry-Miller also gives sellers practical tools, like OnePoint, which connects agent, mortgage, insurance and title in one process. Read more about Andy.
What should I expect from my realtor each week?
You should hear from your agent at least once a week with facts, not reassurance: what happened, what it means and what to do next. If you have to chase your agent for an update, that tells you something.
- How many showings there were and what buyers' agents said
- Online activity on the listing, read alongside showings rather than on its own
- New listings, price changes and contracts in your area that change your competition
- Any offer, any question from a buyer's agent, and the agent's recommendation
- If the home is under contract: inspection, appraisal, title and lender deadlines and where each one stands
Ask at the start for a written marketing plan and a weekly update day. With us that day is Monday: every seller gets a listing update email with a report. Then you can compare what was promised with what you see.
