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Are you sure "For Sale By Owner" is right for you?

By
Real Estate Agent with Rinehart Realty

Whenever homeowners are considering selling their home one of the first questions they ask themselves is should they try to do "for sale by owner" instead of listing with a real estate agent.  This is a fair question and many folks think they can manage the process of selling a home on their own while saving commission to a realtor.  Many folks who take this path quickly become disenchanted with the process and all that is involved in trying to sell their home. 

The truth is a real estate agent can help homeowners from the beginning of the process by gathering information such as comps in the area, analyzing home trends, make recommendations to get your home ready to sell and more than anything market your home.  Potential buyers these days are fully utilizing the internet to do home searches and folks trying to sell a home on their own will not have the access to meet the mass number of folks that are surfing the internet each and every day. Realtors utilize a number of sites and can make sure your home is being exposed to as many folks as possible. In addtion the  process of managing showings including having constant access for buyers is very critical in the seling process. Buyers will cross homes off their lists quickly if they cant get access to homes on their terms. With the large invnetory of homes on the market For Sale by Owners properties can miss out quickly on buyers due to communication issues.  

Statistics show that sellers who list with an agent sell their home 20% faster and for a much higher price than those that try to sell themselves.  For sale by owner can work, but you need to understand the pros and cons of the process.  Give us The Guilliams Team a call today for a free consultation and let us help you determine what is the best way for you to sell your home.

Kenneth Cole
Weichert Realtors Appleseed Group, 2043 Richmond Ave. S.I.N.Y. 10314. office phone 718-698-9797, Appleseedhomes.com... - Staten Island, NY
NYS Licensed Real Estate Salesperson

Tim and Gina;  Great post.  Most FSBO's don't realize that the #1 reason to list with a GREAT professional is that they can't create a neutral atmosphere when showing.  The owners should never be present.  So, how can you show your home if you're not there?

Aug 12, 2009 01:02 AM
Kate Talarico
Kates Home Staging and Interior Design - Goshen, NY
RESA, Top Orange County Home Decorator & Stager

I think it would take a very dedicated and meticulous person to be able to sell their home on their own.  I agree with the two above posts, the homeowners would need to create a very neutral atmosphere and have to remove their emotions from the negotiating process.  This can be difficult for most people since their home is one of the largest investments in their lives.

A homeowner would need to be able to clean, stage, price, attract potential buyers, take their own digital pictures, create an online presence, show their home objectively, negotiate their price, -- and leave all their years of emotion out of it.

Aug 15, 2009 08:46 AM