For some reason For Sale by Owners view real estate agents as the enemy. Truth be told, we really want your home to sell. If you can sell it yourself, that's wonderful. That sense of accomplishment that you get from getting the job done. It's an awesome feeling and I know because I've done it many times. I am curious though as to why you believe you will be saving money? Or what method you use to measure that savings.
I know, you think I just want to get a commission. And you are right (in part). I'm not trying to be condescending when I say this, but of course I want to be paid if I successfully sell your home. Some may be ashamed to say it, but I'm not.
I admire you. Really I do. Who can blame you for trying to save a little money? As consumers, don't we all want to do that? But before you attempt to sell your home yourself, consider this:
- Are you really prepared for the many hours having to be spent talking with lenders, brokers, inspectors, title companies, appraisers, real estate agents, contractors? And I'm just getting warm.
- Do you actually have a strategy in place or are you just going to put that sign in the yard, ad in the papery and hope for the best?
- Hopefully in such a poor economy, you still have a job and a boss, that doesn't mind that you spend your days on the phone fielding phone calls all day instead of doing the work that your company is paying you to do.
- I hope you won't be in a position where you find yourself dropping everything that you're doing to show your home in hopes that the next person you show your home to will actually be qualified to buy it.
- If you're lucky, you won't have to waste a lot of time talking to people who can't buy a penny on credit.
- If you're lucky, you won't spend a great deal of time letting strangers into your home and putting your family at risk because you have no idea who you're letting into your private space.
- And this is all just the small stuff.
You see the thing is this; the business of real estate is far more complicated than you would think. Laws, rules, regulations and such can change on what seems like a daily basis. Many people think that real estate laws only apply to real estate agents. WRONG! Heck, I can hardly keep up with it myself. In large part, many For Sale by Owners just have no idea what they're in for. Call me crazy and a glutton for punishment, but I actually enjoy the moment by moment challenges AND frustrations of selling real estate.
Real estate is how I make my living. It's how I enjoy making my living. And to top it all off, I get paid for doing what I absolutely love. Every single day of the week, I open my eyes to the thrill of being a Realtor. For me, working at a job that I love can't get much better than this. The myriad of laws, rules, regulations, continuing education that is required keeps me abreast of how to deal with the challenges that I face on a daily basis. So please don't view me as the enemy.
After giving the above some thought, if it doesn't work out for you (and I really hope that it does), I'd like to be your ally in selling your home, not your enemy.
Sincerely,
Charita
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