I have some clients who are looking for a great condo or coop downtown. I've found some good possibilities and my clients are adding things that they come across on the Internet.
Most of their finds are already under contract or settled. But there was one that, while not on the MRIS was on a FSBO site.
There was a description and contact information.
But wait!
It said to call Camille. I dialed the number then I noticed the little warning that Camille is on the national "Do Not Call" register, and any agent who calls her is subject to a gigantic fine.
Hang up! Fast!
OK. There's also an email option. But when I tried that, I got a warning from the Realtor® police that my email set off a red flag.
Now, the price is $550,000 and the remarks said it is firm. But wait! That's $75,000 more than anything has sold for in the building. And it's a third floor walk up, and the fees are so high that they should include dry cleaning and groceries - which ought to include delivery up the three flights of stairs!
And before I could talk my clients out of wanting to see the place, a "friend" of the owner called my number, captured from the caller ID that showed up before I hung up. And we do have an appointment to see the place tomorrow, and I'm secretly hoping that they hate the place.
If you're thinking about going it alone, selling By Owner, you can do it. While most people who try give up and eventually list with an agent, you can avoid the major pitfalls -
- Don't overprice your place.
- At a minimum, use a limited service company that will put your listing on the local Multiple Listing Service, and agree to pay any agent who brings in a buyer.
- Be careful about the information you have on your promotional leaflets. Camille had a couple of serious mistakes on the piece that her "friend" emailed me. One of them could cost her buyer an extra $8,000 or so.
- Don't have an unlicensed "friend" help you sell the place. They won't know any more than you do!
You might think it's easy. It's not.
Now, I don't want your listing. But you might want to buy a copy of The Irreverent Guide to Real Estate. There is a whole section on how to do it yourself.
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