If you're thinking about buying or selling a home, you've probably looked at the commission and wondered whether you could just do it yourself. It's a fair question. For most people, a home is the biggest financial decision they'll ever make, and the agent's fee is one of the largest single costs in the transaction.
My honest answer: yes, hiring a Realtor is worth the cost, as long as you hire the right one. I've been a licensed Realtor in Sonoma County since 2019, spent years on the county's #1 team by sales volume, and now work independently with W Real Estate across Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, Windsor, Sebastopol, and the Russian River Valley. Below, I'll show you exactly what a good agent does for that commission, using real examples and real numbers from deals I've worked on this year.
Why the Answer Is Yes: You're Hiring a Market Expert
The biggest value a Realtor brings isn't filling out paperwork. It's expertise. A good agent knows the local market in a level of detail you can't get from an online estimate, and that knowledge shows up in your price, your protection, and your final number.
Pricing: "The Number I Want" Isn't a List Price
Last week I spoke with a homeowner who was trying to sell his house on his own through Zillow. Based on the comps, his home is worth somewhere around $1.2 million. He had it listed for $2.1 million.
When I asked where that number came from, he told me it was the number he wanted to sell for. He hadn't talked to a Realtor, hadn't looked at comparable sales, and hadn't considered the condition of the house.
That listing will sit. And the longer a home sits, the more buyers assume something is wrong with it, which usually means selling for less in the end than if it had been priced correctly from day one.
Why the House Down the Street Isn't Always Your Comp
Just because a home down the street sold for a certain amount doesn't mean yours will. When I price a home, I look at:
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All the recent comparable sales, including homes that sold off market and never showed up on the big real estate sites
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The actual construction of the house, not just its age, including the building materials and quality of the build
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The condition of the home, inside and out
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Whether each comp is truly comparable to your property or just nearby
There's also an emotional side. Sellers love their homes, and that's a good thing, but it makes it hard to see the house the way a buyer will. A Realtor is a third party who can give you an honest, expert opinion, even when it's not what you want to hear.
Disclosures: Where Do-It-Yourself Sellers Get Into Trouble
California requires sellers to complete a long list of disclosures, and getting them wrong can lead to serious legal problems after the sale closes.
The same seller I mentioned above didn't know anything about the disclosure process. When I asked whether the work he'd done on the house was permitted, he told me it was none of my business. Unfortunately, it will be a buyer's business, and unpermitted work that isn't properly disclosed is one of the fastest ways for a seller to end up in a lawsuit.
A good Realtor will:
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Pull the permit history on your property
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Walk you through every California-required disclosure form
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Make sure you understand what you're signing before you sign it
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Help you disclose properly so you're protected after closing
The Other Hidden Cost of Selling on Your Own
Here's something most sellers don't expect: the moment you list as a For Sale By Owner, every agent whose business strategy is calling FSBO sellers will start calling you. Some days it can feel like a hundred calls. Selling on your own isn't just more work. It's a lot more noise.
A Real Example: How Preparation Turned $550,000 Into $925,000
Earlier this year, I sold a home in Sebastopol that shows exactly what a Realtor can do beyond listing a property.
A friend of the homeowner, who lived on the property, reached out to me. The owner was showing serious signs of dementia and didn't want to sell, even though she could no longer live safely on her own. Over more than six months, I stayed in touch, and eventually we connected with her power of attorney, her niece, who became involved in the process.
Working with the niece, I helped place the owner in a memory care home. Then I became the project manager for the property:
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Cleared out the house and organized an estate sale
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Hired painters to refresh the home
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Brought in power washing
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Had a plumber repair the plumbing
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Hired a landscaper to bring the entire one-acre yard back to life
Without that work, the home likely would have sold for around $550,000. After everything was completed, it sold for $925,000. That's a $375,000 difference, and that money went directly toward the owner's memory care.
It was a long process, but it's a perfect example of why hiring a Realtor who understands every step of getting a home ready for top dollar matters so much.
For Buyers: Why Representation Pays for Itself
Since the 2024 changes to how real estate commissions work, buyers now sign a written agreement with their agent before touring homes, and many buyers are asking whether they need an agent at all. Here's a story from just this month that answers that question.
My buyers made an offer on a home that was marketed as having all new systems: new HVAC, new furnace, new AC, new roof. The MLS listing said the furnace was new, and the seller even wrote a letter stating the furnace was two years old. That kind of upkeep made the house very appealing, and my buyers were competing against other buyers who loved it too.
During the home inspection, the inspector found that the furnace was actually about 25 years old. The seller had made a mistake.
Because my buyers were represented, we caught it and negotiated an additional $25,000 off the price. If they had been buying on their own, and maybe been talked out of an inspection to make their offer more competitive, that mistake might never have been caught, and they'd have been dealing with a lawsuit instead of a credit.
What a Buyer Agreement Actually Gives You
When you sign a buyer agreement, your Realtor is legally representing you and is obligated to act in your best interest. That means:
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Someone in your corner who's looking for problems, not just closing the deal
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Guidance on inspections and what to do with the results
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A negotiator who knows how to turn findings into real dollars
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Experience spotting mistakes before they become your mistakes
What You're Really Paying For
One thing many sellers don't realize is that commission is paid through escrow at closing. It doesn't cost you anything upfront. Meanwhile, your agent is often spending their own money to market your home before it ever sells.
Here's what I personally pay for on every listing valued at $850,000 or more:
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Professional photography, drone photography, and video: upwards of $800
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A Spotlight listing on Realtor.com: about $800
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Zillow Showcase: about $750
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Paid ads for the property: about $500
That's more than $2,800 in marketing that comes out of my pocket before your home sells. For homes valued under $850,000, I adjust the plan, for example dropping Zillow Showcase, because in my experience more buyers see the Realtor.com listing. But I still put far more money into marketing than most agents do, and the fact that I do it on every listing tells you how well it works.
If you sold on your own, you'd be paying for all of that yourself, upfront, with no guarantee you'd know how to use it.
Marketing That Reaches Buyers Where They Are
Buyers aren't finding homes by driving past yard signs or wandering into open houses anymore. They're searching online. So the right marketing plan has to reach them there.
I learned marketing on Sonoma County's #1 team, and I've built my own system on top of it using SEO. In my experience, it puts two to three times more eyes on a listing than the typical approach. Every listing gets promoted across:
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Paid ads targeted to likely buyers
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My weekly newsletter, which goes to more than 1,500 subscribers
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My weekly podcast
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My website
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My social media channels
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Blog posts that rank in search for the best homes in your city
That last one matters. When a buyer searches online for homes in the town where your home is listed, they find your home, and not just on Zillow or Realtor.com. That's what good SEO does: it channels every platform I can get my hands on and funnels it all toward your property. Most agents don't know how to do this.
Why Relationships With Other Agents Matter
Marketing gets buyers interested, but negotiation closes the deal, and most buyers come with their own agent. Not every agent is pleasant to work with. An agent who builds good relationships with other Realtors, and genuinely likes working with people, makes the whole transaction smoother and gives your offer or listing an edge.
The things my clients mention most in their reviews are how kind, patient, and easy I am to work with. That matters more than people expect when you're in the middle of one of the most stressful decisions of your life.
How to Choose a Realtor Who's Actually Worth It
A Realtor is worth the cost when they do the work. Here's what to look for, and what to watch out for, when you interview agents.
Questions to Ask
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How long have you been in real estate, and how many homes have you sold in my area?
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How will you price my home, and which comps are you using?
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What's your full marketing plan, and what do you pay for out of your own pocket?
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How do you handle disclosures and permit history?
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Can I read reviews from past clients?
Red Flags
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The marketing plan is "put it on the MLS and run a few ads"
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A sign in the yard is treated as a strategy
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They agree to your price without showing you comps
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They can't explain how they'll reach buyers online
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They seem more interested in getting the listing than in getting you the best result
If an agent's plan is to post your listing and wait for buyers to show up, they're getting paid to sit there. Those days are over. Today's market requires a full marketing launch, and you deserve an agent who knows how to deliver one.
The Bottom Line
Hiring a Realtor is worth the cost when you hire the right one. The right agent will price your home correctly, protect you through the disclosure and inspection process, invest in marketing that reaches today's buyers, and negotiate on your behalf. In the examples above, that meant $375,000 more for a seller and $25,000 back for a buyer.
If you’re thinking about buying or selling in Sonoma County and want an honest opinion on what your home is worth or what your next move should be, I’d love to help. Reach out at realtorerikafrey.com or call me at 707-888-0212.