For sale by owner

Real estate transactions can be tricky. The widespread myth that selling real estate is easy has lured many home sellers into making expensive mistakes by trying (and failing) to sell their own home.

Many people assume that all you need is a sales contract, a classified ad and a “For Sale” sign. But even the most basic step — setting the correct sale price — depends on a number of factors. The location, size and condition of your home, the relationship between the local supply of homes and the number of qualified buyers, and the recent selling prices of comparable homes in your neighborhood all affect the market value of your property. Homeowners who sell without a professional realtor often misread the local market and overprice the home.

Sellers might also mishandle contingencies, home inspections, title clearance, deadlines and disclosures. The advice and guidance of an experienced real estate agent is essential to ensure that you avoid the risk of expensive litigation and ensure a successful home sale.

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It is not unusual for homeowners to yield to the temptation to try to sell their own home. It seems easy enough–just place an ad in the weekend paper and wait for buyers to show up. Although it may seem simple, real estate sales transactions are extremely complex proceedings.

The first pitfall can come with pricing your property realistically. Homeowners often price their property too high initially, then drastically slash the price when weeks go buy without an offer. Even if a prospective buyer agrees to the initial asking price, there could be complications if the buyers begin to feel that they have agreed to pay too much, or if the lender’s appraisal values the property at far less than the agreed-upon price. Some clients hire agents to market their home professionally after weeks or months of trying to sell their own home without success, or after their FSBO transaction fell through.

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Some things are hard to measure, and others are easy. Success in a real estate sale is easy. It occurs when the “SOLD” sign is in your front yard. And having that occur as quickly as possible is the goal of every real estate agent and every home seller.

You have undoubtedly heard that old saying about the “hard way” and the “easy way” to do something. The hard way to get the “SOLD” sign up is to try and sell it yourself. The easy way is to use the services of a real estate sales professional, someone who is not only trained to get it sold, but to get as much for your home as the market will bear.

Remember, the agent doesn’t get paid until your home is “SOLD”. And the amount they earn in commission is dependent upon the amount of the sale. That’s a lot of genuine motivation to do the job right. Save yourself headaches and frustration when you are ready to sell–call a professional real estate agent.

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After a month of trying to sell your home “By Owner” you may decide to list it with a real estate agent. If you are in this position, you may begin to notice that your agent doesn’t market the home the same way you did. You ran classified ads every weekend, but your agent has only advertised twice all month. Even so, there is a lot more interest and activity than you were able to generate on your own.

When your home is being marketed professionally, your real estate agent has many powerful selling tools that make it worth hiring someone who is experienced and competent. Some advantages to hiring an agent are the national and worldwide referral networks, the Multiple Listing Service, and the Internet. We advertise extensively in almost every media available including TV, which may bring in a call from the people who will buy your home. We work cooperatively with other brokers and share information about listings. Communication is the key to a real estates success. Agents use all of these tools to market their listings aggressively to get sales action!

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Some homeowners try to sell their own home, believing that they are as capable as a real estate agent of handling a property transaction. But according to statistics, only 8 to 10 percent of “FSBO” transactions actually close, and many end up in litigation.

If you choose to buy a home with a realtor’s help, you substantially reduce your risk. Buying real estate involves more legal and financial repercussions than most people realize. Realtors are licensed and highly regulated professionals who are equipped to deal with the complex issues that arise. For example, if the FSBO seller holds your earnest money deposit, how will you as the buyer go about getting it back if the deal does not close? What will you do if the seller refuses to correct defects in the home or treat a termite infestation? Who pays for re-wiring the house if the electrical system does not meet current codes? What if there are liens against the property?

As a buyer, you have rights written into the sales contract. An experienced agent knows how to protect those rights while negotiating the best price and terms on your behalf.

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The virtue of self-reliance is as American as baseball and apple pie–except if you are trying to sell your own home. Here such a “virtue” can cost you time, effort, and possibly money.

Because the overwhelming majority of homes that sell are listed with a real estate agent, you will be going against significant odds if you decide to sell your own home. The experience of a real estate professional may get you a better price and help you to avoid all the “little” things that can go wrong in a real estate transaction.

The desire to “save” the commission on a property is the reason most people decide not to work with a real estate agent. Prospective buyers who look for properties that are “For Sale By Owner” (FSBOs) are also wanting to avoid the commission–and to get a less-than-market-value deal. However, nothing is saved in the majority of FSBOs. Listing your home with a real estate professional can spare you the inconvenience of showing your home and save you the time you would spend talking to buyers who could not qualify for a loan.

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When a home owner tries to sell “By Owner”, they commonly use two basic marketing techniques to advertise the property. They place a “For Sale” sign in the front yard and a classified ad in the local newspaper. When a seller lists their home with a professional real estate agent, however, a very sophisticated process is set in motion in order to facilitate the home sales transaction.

Real estate agents have a backlog of prospective buyers for the homes in their market. Through the Multiple Listing Service, the agent cooperates with other brokers in the area who will show your home to their prospective buyers. Professional real estate agents also combine direct mail, telephone calls, and specialized advertising techniques incorporating media such as the Internet, to reach the sales market. In this way we create activity on our listings that help them to sell quickly–and for the best price.

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Perhaps you have no plans to buy or sell a home right now, but you are curious about your possibilities. Real estate professionals can answer any questions you may have about the complexities of a real estate transaction and provide you with information to help you make a decision.

Call or send an email if you would like to discuss the local real estate market and determine whether it is a good time for you to buy or sell. If you are a first-time buyer, you may have questions about legal descriptions, fair housing laws or sources of financing. You may be curious about how sales prices are set.

A real estate agent’s job is diverse, and the best agents are excellent sources of information. Each day, real estate agent’s are actively involved with mortgage lenders, attorneys, surveyors and taxing authorities, discussing the latest developments in our ever-changing marketplace. Finding the right real estate agent is like finding the right physician. The help of a professional can help satisfy your curiosity. Call or email with your real estate questions.

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When buying a home, it is essential to cooperate as closely as possible with your real estate agent. This can be challenging, especially if your agent asks you to do some things that you don’t particularly want to do to in order to get you moved into your new home as quickly as possible.

When real estate agents advise you regarding ways to make the transaction work, they are acting as part coach and part business consultant. If you find the house you love and want to “sleep on” the decision for a few days, the agent knows that you run the risk of losing the house. If you are inclined to complicate your offer with clauses that might make the contract unattractive to the sellers, the agent may ask you to consider some modifications. Should you call the week before the closing with an attack of “buyer’s remorse”, your agent knows the cure. Following your real estate agent’s suggestions will increase your chances for a successful move!

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