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In many areas, a Realtor won't even
show homes to a prospective buyer until they pre-qualify. The
process saves a lot of wasted time on everybody's part, and insures
that buyers focus on homes they can afford.
Tip!
Marketing The main problem of anybody who is doing FSBO is the
marketing problem. Realtors have access to Multiply Listing
Service database and their listings are exposed to all other
agents.
In the FSBO world, you put up a
"For Sale" sign in your front yard, and have to deal with everyone
that will be calling you to talk about your house, and want to walk
through it, even though they don't have the resources to actually
buy it. In the end, they are just wasting your time. Time is
valuable.
Realtors also have contact with
many people from out of town who are relocating to your area. Every
Realtor in town gets contacted frequently through their website, by
people that are looking for a home by long-distance. They are
getting transferred by their company, or moving to be near other
family members. They may be coming to town soon to look at available
homes for a few days. The Realtor lines up a number of homes for
them to tour that fit their criteria. One of them could be yours.
But, if you FSBO, that potential buyer won't know your house is on
the market, and won't see it when they get to town, unless they
happen to drive by it. They have a short time in town, and their
Realtor has scheduled them to tour a number of homes in town that
match the buyers needs. Will your FSBO be one of them?
Tip!
If you FSBO you will be learning the process as you go, a costly
education when you are trying to sell your own home.
EXPERIENCE
A real estate agent will be able to
assist in setting the right price to list your home, according to
the current market conditions. The agent can provide objective
advice on your homes value based on current market conditions.
A real estate agent is a trained
professional who will spend the necessary amount of time it may take
to get your home SOLD.
The agent understands and will take
care of all the necessary paperwork to complete the buying process.
The agent will also act as a liaison between you and the inspectors,
the buyer's agent, escrow companies, and between attorneys, if they
are involved.
Most buyers prefer to deal with a
real estate agent because the agent will give them the unbiased
professional opinion on a house, and how it stacks up against other
houses on the market.
Agents understand all the different
types of loans and financing options. They can provide information
to buyers about local lending institutions to fit their needs.
FISBO ADVERTISING
Realtors have many ways to
advertise your home, not just a newspaper ad and a "For Sale" sign
in the yard. They also utilize the following ways to advertise a
home:
The Multiple Listing Service Open
Houses Web sites like Realtor.com and Yahoo Real Estate Direct mail
Newspaper inserts Regional Real Estate Magazines Cable TV Word of
mouth through Realtor "Caravans" where 30 or more Realtors will tour
your home and then match it to their prospective buyers. "Virtual
Tours" of homes for sale on the Realtors website. To see an example
of a virtual tour click
HERE,
then click on "Virtual Tour".
How much of this marketing muscle
will you be able to flex if you FSBO?
SHOWING YOUR HOME
Agents have expertise to help you
get your home in top shape before your prospective buyers arrive.
They can help you "stage" your home to look more like a model home
that would appeal to a larger group of buyers. They know how to
emphasize and focus on your homes good points.
If you FSBO you will be learning
the process as you go, a costly education when you are trying to
sell your own home, your biggest investment.
SUMMARY
Selling a home takes a lot of time,
knowledge, effort, and paperwork. You can do it yourself, or hire
someone that has done it dozens, if not hundreds of times. This is
your biggest single investment. Do you really want to go through "on
the job training" while you sell it. That could be a very time
consuming and expensive education.
Take some of the work, frustration
and fear out of the process, and hire a professional!
Vicki Walker is a
Realtor serving clients in Davis and Woodland, California. You can
find out more by visiting her websites
Davis Real Estate and Homes and
Woodland
California Real Estate |
