A couple of days ago a client of mine contacted me regarding a FSBO he was interested in viewing. The day I was setting up showings for the weekend and I contacted the owner to ask if he was prepared to pay a commission if I brought him a buying customer. He told me "no, thats why I'm selling it myself". As per usual, he called me back the next day and asked me "how does this commission thing work anyway". I asked him if this was explained to him when he signed up with the FSBO company and he told me that they didn't. I went over the "commission thing" with him and he asked me to come out and talk to him. I went out to his Open House on Sunday which he was holding from 2-5 and was there for most of the appointment. I listed his house and by the time I left, not one person had come. What I did find when I arrived there was someone who was extremely frustrated. This gentleman is a regional manager so no dummy where business practices are concerned. He was confused and sick and tired of dealing head on with the public, nosy neighbours etc. and he just didn't know how to sell his house. I told him that selling a house isn't as easy as it looks, especially in this market and that doing it yourself was like hiring a masonary to jockey your horse in the World Cup. There is just too much riding on it for the average bear to take the chance that you incur the cost of your vacant home on the market for 6 months without a bite.
Needless to say, he seemed relieved when I took the reins and guided him through what he needed to do in terms of preparing the home properly for sale. I am getting quotes for him from stagers and I hope the home sells quickly at the price he is looking for. I think after just 3 hours, he was really understanding the value of a professional Realtor.
Proper signage, feature sheets, advertising etc should be the proof in the pudding. Does anyone else have any FSBO stories?
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