For-Sale-By-Owners: What You Should Know Before You Sell!
If I sell my house myself, I will
save thousands of dollars, right? Maybe not! Many homeowners believe that to maximize
their profit on a home sale, they should sell it themselves. They feel that by selling on their own, they
will save money by avoiding the real estate brokerage fee. Almost 20% of all homes for sale last
year were by the owners. However, only
13% actually sold by owners. In
addition, over half of those who did sell their home by themselves said they
were not sure they saved any money and would definitely use an agent the next
time they bought or sold. Why were so
many people unhappy with the results they achieved by selling their own home?
Many FSBO’s explain that the time,
paperwork, liability, and everyday inconveniences involved were not worth the
amount of money they saved in commissions.
For others, the amount of profit was disappointing. By the time they figured the amount of
additional fees paid to outside consultants, inspectors, appraisers, title,
lawyers, advertising and marketing cost, they would have been better off having
paid the broker’s fee which includes many of those charges upfront.
FACT: Over
the past years, marketing and selling a home has become much more complicated.
Even though there are more homes being sold over all, the percentage of homes
sold by-owners has fallen.
Selling a home requires an in-depth
and detailed understanding of the real estate market, finding the best
qualified motivated buyers, and many other steps that bring about a successful
sale. If the property is priced too
high, it will develop a reputation as being a problem property. If the property is priced too low, you could
lose a great amount of money. Some
For-Sale-By-Owners discovered that they lost money as a result of poor marketing
or wrong decisions.
Before you decide to sell your own home, consider the
work and liability involved versus hiring a professional. Some time spent investigating at the
beginning can pay off in the end.
First, ask if you have the time,
energy, know-how, and marketing ability to devote to selling your home. One of the keys to selling a home effectively
is accessibility. Many homes sit on the
market because the owner is unavailable to show the property when the buyer
wishes to see it.
Next, are you prepared to deal with buyers that perceive
For-Sale-By-Owners as targets for low offers and an opportunity to save money
themselves? One of the great challenges
of selling your own home is screening unqualified buyers and bargain-hunting
homebuyers. Settling for a low bid is
almost always worse than paying a sales commission.
Are you prepared and knowledgeable to
offer information about financing? Are
you willing to finance a buyer? It is
critical to have all the necessary information that a buyer needs, and the
topic of finances is certain to come up.
A professional real estate agent will have a team of lenders and title
reps for you and your buyer to use. Do
you have that luxury when selling your home on your own?
There are two primary reasons why
homeowners consider selling on their own!
- Hopes
of saving the commission.
- They
did not know a good agent.
FACT: REALTORS will generally sell
houses for 5-8% more than owners themselves.
WHY SELLING BY-OWNER IS DIFFICULT.
You only have four ways to attract
buyers:
1.
Classified Advertising
2.
Open House
3.
For Sale Signs
4.
Internet
You must give the address.
Buyers can drive by without seeing the inside.
For prospective buyers that preview your house, how do you plan to obtain their names and phone numbers? How do you plan to follow up with them? What will their impression of you be when you call them? How will calling them affect your negotiating position?
You have but one property to show.
REALTORS have many homes to show and can match our buyers to our
properties. Do you fully understand all the legal steps in selling a home? Many home sales fail due to incomplete
paperwork, lack of inspections or not meeting your STATE DISCLOSURE LAWS
that owners are required to make when selling on their own. Are you completely knowledgeable on all of
these requirements? If not, it would be
very wise to select a real estate professional.
Can you mediate disputes with buyers?
Ask yourself if you possess the legal knowledge to work through disputes
on any or all of the contracts necessary when selling a home, which puts the
owner in an extreme position of liability.
Again, this could be the difference in getting your home sold or having
it sit on the market month after month.
Are you familiar with the best
inspectors and escrow companies? Randomly selecting
companies can be disastrous.
Disreputable or low-quality companies can slow, derail or even halt
completely the sale of your home. A
trained real estate professional will know which companies can be trusted to
keep the sale of your home on track.
WHERE DO THE BEST BUYERS COME
FROM?
40% come from REALTOR’S
company name or salesperson contact.
18% come from our
company’s for sale signs.
18% are referred by our
international relocation service.
15% locate a property
and/or their agent on the Internet.
4% responded to an open
house but purchased a different property.
1% buy a property
advertised in the newspaper.
2% bought for a
combination of reasons.
Please note: Very few
buyers buy as a result of an open house or newspaper ad.
Perhaps you’ve considered listing
with a discount broker. But are you any better off?
Did you know that offering a full commission is part of selling your house for “TOP DOLLAR?” Discount brokers promise the same services as other brokers, but do they help you to achieve your goal of selling your house for TOP DOLLAR?
FACT: Sales associates often refuse to show houses offering reduced commissions, which drive your sales price down.
FACT: Homes listed by Discount Brokers
normally stay on the market longer and sell at a lower price. You net less.
FACT: If the buyer knows the commission is discounted,
he/she feels he/she has more leverage to negotiate a lower price. You lose money once again.
Offering a full commission assures more showings, a faster sale and a higher price, which will net you more money.
Choosing
your Agent wisely. Any agent will show
enthusiasm and will want to list your house for sale but choose your agent
based upon
- Experience at listing
and marketing houses for sale.
- Ability to use
technology to market your house world wide to buyers 24/7.
- Reviewing with you a
comprehensive Marketing Analysis of home sales in your area.
- Ability to offer a
written detailed 30-DAY
MARKETING PLAN that will get your
house sold at the highest possible price.
Working
with a full-time professional real estate agent is a must. Choose your agent by asking questions of him
or her. Find out how knowledgeable they
are about houses currently for sale in your price range and also of houses that
have recently sold. Can
your agent recommend a good lender that has the reputation of excellent customer service and low rates to assist your
new buyer with financing? A good listing
agent can get your house sold quickly at TOP DOLLAR and help you find a
new home.
Thank you for requesting a copy of
this “FREE REPORT”
For prompt, courteous, professional
service, call Jan Wilson:
Office: 1-714-903-7750
Direct: 1-714-719-0048
Visit my
web site at: www.gardenparkrealty.com
Have questions, need advice you can
count on or just want to discuss this further?
Don’t waste any more time; pick up
the phone and call me now! I’m here to
help!
P.S. I appreciate your business, your loyalty, trust and your referrals. It is my goal to provide the very best counsel, advice and service possible for your real estate needs. If I may ever be of assistance to you, a relative, friend or co-worker please don’t hesitate to call me. I look forward to the opportunity to serve you.™
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