It is somewhat understandable why homeowners sometimes want to attempt selling their home themselves, they think that if they sell their own house, they will save the real estate commissions normally paid to the professionals. The truth is that in most instances, they still need to pay the buyer's agent if they want anyone to see their house and often they are agreeable to that idea. This uninformed seller thinks that with the internet and their digital camera, they can do their own marketing to attract buyers. A few of them actually have the resources (time, tools, skills) to produce adequate marketing materials - but rarely do they have the market penetration to effectively reach their target audience and the seller eventually lists their home with an agent to get the job done.
But here's what they overlook in the internet age. Many of the consumer oriented websites report to the buyer how long a house has been on the market. If the homeowner attempts to sell it "on their own" for just two months, by the time their property hits the market with agent advertising, it appears stale because sites like Zillow reveal that the house has actually been on the market for several months. A house that has been on the market without selling makes buyers think, "What's wrong with the house?" Consequently, the buyer thinks the house is overpriced, the seller is cheap, and it encourages lowball offers if any offers at all.
A skilled REALTOR may be able to overcome some of the damage the seller did prior to listing the house with a professional, but the easiest problem to overcome is the one that never comes up in the first place.
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