Should you sell on you own
or get professional help?
Selling a home is no walk in the park. It's more work
than you might think, which is why four out of five
homes sold annually in the U.S. are sold through a
real estate agent. But there are valid reasons why
you might want to try what's known as "for sale by
owner," or FSBO ("fizzbo").
Let's take a look at the pros and cons of each...
FSBO could be for you if:
• The real estate market is favoring sellers at the
time you put your house on the market
• You're not in a big hurry to sell
• You want to save the typical Florida 6% commission
that a real estate agent would earn by being
involved
• You have a good real estate attorney who can
protect you through all the legal facets of selling
your home
• You already have a potential buyer who's
financially capable of buying your home
• You can detach yourself emotionally from your home
• You have the time and motivation to learn more
about the process, answer phone calls and show your
house.
FSBO could be a bad idea
if:
• You're in a hurry to sell
• You have a hard time handling tension,
complications and rejection
• You don't have the right information to price your
home: Overpricing unnecessarily delays a sale, while
underpricing forfeits any gains you may have made by
avoiding an agent's commission
• You're uncomfortable negotiating
• You unknowingly stumble into legal mine fields
because you don't have a real estate attorney on
your side.
Before we look at the benefits of using a real
estate agent, let's take a minute to define the
players:
A real estate "agent" is tested and licensed by the
state; a "broker" has taken an additional test, and
is authorized to operate a private real estate firm;
a "REALTOR®" is a licensed professional and a member
of the National Association of REALTORS®.
Benefits of using an agent.
• Agents know the market and can help you
determine the right price for your home
• Agents have a vested interest (commission) in
selling your home for the highest amount possible
• They have far greater resources than you for
locating buyers and steering them to your home, such
as the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and "comp
books," which list recent sale prices of homes
similar to yours in your neighborhood—the key
determiner of your home's worth
• Agents can advertise your home in classified ads
and real estate magazines
• They make sure in advance that prospective buyers
are financially able to buy your home
• Agents aren't emotionally invested in your home,
so they can keep cool, level heads during the
negotiating process
• They save you valuable time, working many hours
behind the scenes for every hour they're in your
presence.
"The pro-active sales
approach is setting me apart from most realtors.
Before you sign a contract make sure you learn about
my sales techniques. Only
qualified buyers that value your property will be
presented to you."
