Hot Buttons of FSBO

Antoinette-

We dont have to sell

We have loads of time

You can bring us a buyer

My experience is they want to get sold, and its a matter of making multiple contacts over time and building relationships.

Good Luck

I don't want to pay the commission/ agents don't deserve the commission.

Do you have a buyer for our proeprty?(before they ever let you see it or even say how many bedrooms it is!)

Of course they're probably going to the toughest ones to convince.  They've already made up their minds that you're not worth the fee.  My best advice would be just to be honest.  Trying to outsmart someone sounds manipulative and FSBO's are more defensive than any as they've usually been overrun by every agent and heard all the reasons to use one. 

The only thing I know that works for FSBO's is offering them something of value to let you into their home and giving them time for a little self discovery.  When they realize they need an agent if you've been the one to stick by them week after week proving your value after all the others have given up then they may turn to you to market their home. 

I work on FSBOs all the time and I don't have much luck with them unless I visit their front door. Calling them on the phone, sending them letters or emails just lets them squirm their way out of giving you the listing. Sometimes I actually have pleasant conversations with them but they are still persistant at selling it themselves.

Many of them nowadays know that they can try to sell it themselves and offer a realtor a commission if they bring a buyer. This saves them half a traditional commission in my area. They usually state "Realtors welcome" with their advertising. When they have open houses I go visit them to make myself known.  When I send them letters I tell them I use 3 sources only realtors can use - MLS, catalog of homes and a Prudential yard sign. One FSBO told me he was going to put his home in the catalog of homes. I was surprised he thought he could do that - which he can't of course. That same person wanted me to do an "open listing".

One of the more successful agents in my area visits FSBOs early in the morning and late in the afternoon. She's always getting FSBOs. When I visit FSBOs after lunch no one is usually home so I leave a door hanger. No one has ever called me in response to those.

My broker says if you can get a FSBO to list their home, you're either very good or very lucky.  :-)

I'm still working on ways to get listings from them as well.

Antoinette,

Wanna learn a little trick, list your home as a FSBO and collect all the presentations directed to the FSBO's and then just make your approach fresh and new.  I call that research.

Take care!

RJH

Antoinette~ unrepresented sellers will eventually list with an agent if it doesn't sell.  The key is to become their "go to" person so that they end up listing with you.... that is the hard part, especially if they don't even know you exist. 

Good question!  I basically am nice and just view their home. Try to give them tips and ask them if I can follow up to see how it is going.  I do.  I give them things to help: Open house registry, a couple of comps (not too many) and just ask them to send me the buyers that are not interested in their house should it come up.

I got busy and got away from the practice but I had one really nice guy that would have listed with me but by the time he realized how much he could get for his house, he realzed that he wouldn't have enough money to move.  Keep it up.  Just be your sweet self!