A Few Things To Consider Before Listing Your House As a FSBO

by Adam Waxler
uKeepCommission Real Estate

Its not uncommon for someone selling their house to try to sell it on their own, as a FSBO (For Sale By Owner), rather than work with a real estate agent. With the common real estate commission being 6%, listing a house and not using a real estate agent will clearly save the seller a lot of money.

Having said that, there are three things you need to think about before going the FSBO route. Remember, there is a reason why more than 80% of all FSBOs eventually end up embracing the expertise of a Realtor.

1. Effectively Marketing Your Home

For starters, listing a house is without question a time-consuming activity. Its not as easy as posting an ad on Craigslist and placing a "for sale" sign in you yard. Nowadays there are many, many real estate websites you will want to list your home on and even though you can do most of this by yourself, there is one website that only real estate agents can post on which is in fact the most crucial site of all...the local MLS or Multiple Listing Service.

Not just that, but your real estate agent will also have a lot of knowledge about internet marketing techniques to help you get your house ranked high in the search engines. And it is through the internet that almost all home searches start.

In addition, a first-rate real estate agent should have a substantial network of other Realtors and buyers which they deal with routinely in their daily business.

2. Pricing the Home

Among the major mistakes FSBOs often is listing the home at the wrong price. Pricing is by far the most important factor in marketing your home and if you don't know how to do a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) you will probably not price your home properly.

3. Negotiations and Contracts

Negotiating is not easy. Not everyone is a trained negotiator which can easily result in deals falling apart . Realtors, however, have a substantial amount of negotiating expertise and can use that knowledge to help you close the deal. Keep in mind, negotiating is not only about the cost of the house. Negotiating also may include other aspects such as financing, inspection contigencies etc.

By the same token, if you're a lawyer then filling out a contract isn't a problem. However, for most of us, all that legalize is mind-numbing. Having a real estate agent in your corner to address all this will make you feel much more comfortable.

In a nutshell...if you would like to sell your house you should genuinely take into account the three factors above before you try to do it yourself.

If you're considering selling your Lakewood Ranch real estate and want to save money on the commission, then call Tanya Waxler, Florida Licensed Broker and Owner of uKeepCommission Real Estate at 941-465-9207...One phone call can save you thousands!

Article submitted Wednesday, August 31, 2011 & read 15 times.

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