Before she signed with a listing agent, Todd Jones’ neighbor tried to sell her home herself. Jones is a top-selling real estate agent in Los Angeles, so he knows firsthand the hard work that goes into selling a home. After he spotted the For Sale by Owner sign across the street from his children’s school, Jones knocked on the door to check in.

“She was so exhausted, she was so sick of the showings, she was frustrated because people would make appointments and then not show up, she didn’t like to hear them say bad things about the house because she had an emotional attachment,” Jones says. “By the time I got to her she was so over it, she was ready to list and have a professional take over.”

At first, it might seem heartbreaking. Fork over 5% of my home’s sale proceeds to a total stranger? Why use a real estate agent at all?

Well, once you read through the real benefits of hiring an agent (especially when they’re the top real estate agents) you’ll see they’re worth every single penny.