You had your home listed for months and now it has expired. You are probably upset with the market, mad at your Realtor and have no idea what to do now. You don't want to repeat your mistake and select another wrong Realtor so what are you to do? You are thinking, "Maybe I will try and sell it myself, it can't be that hard". The Realtor is blamed most of the time for a home not selling but before you blame him/her let's take a look at the possible reasons a home does not sell.
It is possible you hired the wrong Realtor, I will admit that, but there are also many factors that can cause a home not to sell. Was it priced right? Did your Realtor suggest you lower the price but you refused? This is the biggest reason a home does not sell, if you have it priced right you will have traffic and traffic brings an offer. Buyers do not make offers on overpriced homes, they just move on. So if you had the thought that they could just make you an offer and you would go from there is flawed. Your home has to be priced right just to get the people through the door.
Was the yard and exterior of the home attractive? If it doesn't have curb appeal they won't get out of the car and go in. First impressions mean a lot and can be the deciding factor whether or not they will get out of the car and go inside. Was the inside of the house clean and smelled good? I know it is a pain to keep your house clean, we do have lives to live after all but your house needs to be clean and picked up when the house is shown. No one likes a messy house. Would you buy a car if the back seat was filled with stuff?
Did you ask any of your friends and family if they had a Realtor they really liked? If you didn't ask anyone who their Realtor is then you are just shooting in the dark and hoping you get the right one. Did you interview more than one Realtor for the job? You need something to compare to, what services to they provide, how will they market the house for you, etc. Keep in mind you are the employer and they are working for you. An employer isn't going to hire the first person they talk to, so neither should you.
By now you are thinking "I will just sell it myself." It sounds easy but it is a lot more complicated than it sounds. Selling a home is more involved than sticking a sign in the yard. You need a proven marketing plan that involves many pieces and together will result in the sale of your home. Marketing can get very costly very quickly and knowing what works and what doesn't work is what you are paying for in a Realtor. If you do try to sell it on your own fewer buyers will know your home is for sale. You won't be able to list it in the Multiple Listing Service without the assistance of a Realtor.
Most motivated buyers are working with Realtors as they know they can show them all the homes and do the negotiating for them. It doesn't cost a buyer anything to use a Realtor, so why wouldn't they? Open Houses have been proven over the years not to work so tying up your weekend waiting for someone to come by will be a futile effort. So how do you find the right Realtor? If you live in the Bradenton Florida area then I would say call me, but that doesn't help if you live somewhere else.
I can still help by referring you to an agent that I prescreen for you. Just contact me and I will be happy to assist. If you do decide to find a Realtor on your own then follow these tips: Ask for referrals, ask your friends and family who they have used and liked. Go to your computer and search online. Use the search term of your town and then the words "real estate". Don't bother with the listings on the very top and on the side those are paid ads. You want someone who comes up in the organic or true search results. This is the Realtor that will give you the most exposure on the internet.
Don't give up because your home didn't sell the first time around. Regroup and look at things from an objective point of view and then hire the next Realtor that can get your home sold for you.
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