HomeBlogHome SellingSelling to an Investor vs. Listing in St. Louis Share on Like what you see? Share with a friend. Selling to an Investor vs. Listing in St. Louis Chris Kirshenboim | November 24, 2021 Last updated August 9, 2026 There is more than one way to sell a house in St. Louis, and the choice is less about which is better than about what you are trading. Selling to an investor vs listing is a trade of price for certainty, and both sides of that trade are real. A listing costs money before it makes any. Commission runs five to six percent. Repairs surface at inspection whether or not you budgeted for them. Staging, photography and premium placement come out of your pocket. Then there is time, because sixty to ninety days is normal in St. Louis County and longer on an older brick house that needs work, and every month carries taxes, insurance, utilities and interest. A direct sale removes all of that: no commission, no repairs, no showings, and no financing that can collapse a week before closing. What you give up is the retail price a mortgage-backed buyer might reach after all of it. Weighing an agent vs an investor honestly means comparing net proceeds and not headline numbers. Our team holds a BBB A+ accreditation with a 4.9 rating across 368 Google reviews, and we will tell you when a listing is the better answer. Read how we buy houses, get a listing opinion, and take as long as you need. Hiring A St. Louis Real Estate Agent The Money You likely know you will have to pay your agent a commission of about 5-6% if they are able to successfully sell your house in St. Louis. However, there are also a number of other costs that will come into play when listing your house for sale. Marketing - Many home sellers want or need to utilize marketing that goes beyond the scope of their agent. This can be professional photography, virtual tours, or premium listings. Repairs - Even if your house is in great shape, there will likely be something that will need fixing. Whether it is a new coat of paint, replacing a leaky faucet, or patching a hole in the wall, these repairs will add up fast. Staging - When you list your home you will want it to look its very best. This means you should take some time to hide away the clutter and decorate it in a warm and inviting fashion. Whether or not you hire a professional stager in St. Louis, making the house pretty can cost a pretty penny. Holding Costs - The holding costs include things like your property taxes, homeowners insurance, utility bills, and maintenance. These costs don't stop when you list your house. In fact, keeping your house in tip-top shape can actually drive your holding costs up even higher. Closing Costs - As a home seller, you will usually pay somewhere around 2% of the final sale price toward your closing costs. Cleaning - Before you list and while to is on the market, the house will need to be kept clean. Many people opt to have it cleaned professionally before it is listed, maintaining the home while it is listed. You should also consider professional carpet cleaning, power washing, and yard clean-up and hauling expenses. That said, working with an agent has the potential to get the highest price possible. Just be sure you have deducted all of the costs mentioned above to be sure listing with an agent in St. Louis makes sense for you. The Time When you hire an agent to help you sell your house in St. Louis, they will shoulder a good portion of the effort that goes into selling. That said, the process will require some of your time and effort as well. For example, you will likely have to spend time... Keeping the property clean and ready for those last-minute showings Making repairs and upgrades to the property before it hits the MLS Marketing the property on sites other than the MLS Vacating the property when someone requests to come see it Waiting for an offer, hoping you will get your asking price Reviewing offers from potential buyers Negotiating with potential buyers Waiting for the escrow process to be completed Dealing with inspectors and appraisers The worst part is that you could go through all of the above, only to have the sale fall through at the last minute. If you've spent any time shopping for homes in the past, you'll often see properties go pending, only to be relisted when the funding falls through. The Unknown One of the most difficult parts of selling your house with an agent in St. Louis is the unknown. You won't know if you will get your asking price, when, or if your improvements will provide returns. Not only is this stressful, but it also makes it difficult for you to plan ahead. Selling To An Investor The Money It's no secret that when you sell your house to an investor in St. Louis, the sale price will not usually be as high as retail. That said, the amount you can save will more than make up for it. Most direct buyers, including Chris Buys Homes in St. Louis buy houses as-is, which means there are no repair costs to worry about. You will also not have to pay commissions, closing costs, or extended closing costs. The Time In most cases, we are able to close in just a few days, potentially saving you a fortune in holding costs. You won't have to do a thing other than pack up the items you wish to keep. We will handle everything else, including any items you wish to leave behind. Working with Chris Buys Homes in St. Louis will help you sell your house in less time, offering you convenience and a fair price. When you consider the time and the money involved with working with a St. Louis real estate agent vs. selling to a local investor, your idea of how to most efficiently sell your house may change. Learn more about selling your house with a St. Louis real estate agent vs. selling your house to a trusted, local, investor! Give us a call or send us a message today! (314) 334-1481 FAQs Frequently Asked Questions How do I compare a cash offer to a listing price fairly? + Start from the listing price, then subtract commission, expected repairs, buyer concessions and three months of carrying cost. Compare that figure to the cash number, which has no deductions. What can go wrong with a financed buyer in Missouri? + The appraisal can come in under contract price, underwriting can reopen at the last minute, and inspection findings can restart the negotiation. Any of those puts you back at the beginning. Does a direct sale still involve a title company? + Yes. Closing happens at a title company or with a closing attorney exactly as it would on a listed sale, with a title search, payoffs and a recorded transfer.
