Two homes on the same street sold recently in Louisville, CO.  Both similar in size–one was updated and listed by a Realtor, the other was not updated and not listed by a Realtor.  The updated house listed by a Realtor sold for 105% of list price–bidding war situation.

The non-updated house not listed by a Realtor was sold via word of mouth or one of those buyer letters.  The non-updated house sold for $90,000 less.  If the non-updated house had been listed by a Realtor and put on the market it would have sold for at least $50,000 more than what it sold for.

Make sure to always hire a Professional Realtor to provide a full-service listing when selling your home.

(Disclaimer:  I was not involved in either transaction)