Why shouldn't I just hire the agent who charges the lowest commission?

Home sellers should care about two things: (a) generating the highest possible "net proceeds" from the sale and (b) minimizing the risk that is implicit in all real estate transactions so that the deal does not fall through. A great listing agent does both. In the end, the adage that you get what you pay for also applies to real estate agents.

As for net proceeds from the sale of a house, it is the offer price minus any seller subsidy of the buyer's closing costs minus any seller credits to the buyer minus any taxes and fees minus costs of preparing the house for sale minus real estate agent commission. The commission paid to the real estate agent is but one of many costs.

A great agent with strong negotiation skills can often get the highest possible price under the existing market conditions. They can help generate multiple offers with creative marketing that goes beyond simply listing the property on MLS. This allows you to comparison shop for the best possible offer. You want your incentives as a seller to be aligned with those of the agent representing you.

Almost as important as net proceeds is minimizing risk. Roughly 7% to 10% of residential real estate transactions fall through after contract ratification. If this happens, the seller has to relist the property, not only losing valuable days on market but also negotiating power. A good agent helps you minimize the risk of the transaction falling through.

SnapDoor agents are experienced agents with the ability to analyze offers for both price and non-price terms. The Snap Score which is the measure of how close an offer is to the seller's preferences is also a measure of risk. If two offers had the same net offer price but different non-price terms, the offer with the lower risk would have a higher Snap Score.

While the commission paid to real estate agents is certainly relevant, it is but one of the factors that a self-interested seller should consider when hiring a listing agent. Simply selecting the agent whose commission is the lowest can result in both lower net proceeds from the sale and higher risk of the transaction falling through.