Consumers - there's something you'll never hear from most real estate agents. Selling For Sale By Owner Works! Did you know that it works only 20% of the time? You can sell your property on your own and be successful, but the 80/20 rule is stacked against you. Regardless of whether its in my town of Murphy, North Carolina or the heart Washington state, 80% of sellers are unable to successfully sell their home.

Why do you ask? Think of your personal shopping experiences. Think about your largest investments. When you bought an engagement ring, where did you buy it? Where do you have your 401(k) or IRA? Did you buy your ring at a jeweler? Does a well recognized stock brokerage firm keep safeguard over your retirement portfolio? Most of you reading this will agree you work with professionals when looking to make a large purchase or investment. Some of you won't. Either way, it is the difference between shopping at the Mall and shopping at the Flea Market.

NAR Statistics show 90% of buyers work with an agent. That's a lot of buyers. The others look FSBO because they're looking to buy cheap just like you would look on eBay. They don't go to FSBOs to spend top dollar because they want to save money just like they would at the flea market! You should want quality buyers who are willing to go to the jeweler to find the perfect diamond. With a Realtor, you won't have to worry about marketing, signage, market statistics, deed preferences, contracts - any of that.

For Sale By Owner does work. You must ask yourself - do I want top dollar? Do I want to sell as quickly as possible? Do I want help from someone who knows the tricks of the trade? If the answer is yes, find a qualified Realtor. I'd be happy to refer you to a great agent in your area if you don't know one.

Now ask, Do I want to give someone a good deal? Sell cheaply? Go through all the marketing process? Price my home by what the neighbor says he sold it for? Hope the buyer who might come up doesn't walk because there's nothing to hold him? If you answer yes to that, try to sell your home yourself. Try it for a while, but when you see a poker player, ask him or her if they'd go all in on a 20% chance.