You’ve decided to sell. You have a good idea of your asking price, then you run the math to figure out how much of your profit you have to give away to an agent – enter FSBO (for sale by owner)!
Sellers who consider FSBO are generally trying to avoid a commission for a listing agent. But, can you really do it yourself? What do you need to know?
Well, FSBO sales represent a small portion of overall housing sales, under 10% according to the National Association of Realtors®. What you may not realize is that even if you sell your home yourself, you’ll still have to compensate the buyer’s agent and pay their commission. So, the question really centers on whether you have considered the work you’ll need to do if you choose not to enlist the help of a sellers agent. Let’s take a look.
Do you feel you have solid inputs to price the house correctly without worrying whether you’re leaving money on the table? Do you have confidence in your ability to market the property effectively and widely – and that you know how to reach the right audience? Do you have plenty of time in your schedule to respond to showing requests and other inquiries from prospects? Do you feel you’re a pro at managing negotiations, maneuvering inspection and repair requests from a buyer? Are you comfortable developing and understanding contractual agreements? Can you manage contingencies that may be presented in any offers? Do you understand your legal rights and obligations to the buyer?
If you answered yes to these, you may be ready to sell your own property. If you are hesitant and want representation, reach out to me. I always share with clients that there is reason top real estate agents are full time professionals. We’ve got the experience, resources and expertise to manage the process end-to-end effectively. We take out the potential impact of emotional homeowners and bring an objectivity to the transaction. My clients do not view my commission as an expense, but rather an investment to maximize the sale of likely the biggest asset they hold.
