What it takes to sell a home

What it takes to sell a home

What you save in money by going the FSBO route, you’ll spend in the time and energy. If you want to sell your home without a real estate agent, make sure you can commit yourself to investing the time, energy, resources you’ll need to take on the same tasks a successful Realtor would:

Price it right, based on an analysis of market pricing, sales trends, neighborhood, and condition of your house.

Plan and implement a hard-hitting marketing campaign.

Know what to repair and what to leave alone – and whom to call to get everything done.

Stage and show your house to its best effect, inside and out.

Respond to inquiries, make appointments, screen prospective buyers, and entertain offers.

Navigate the complicated world of disclosure forms, insurance policies, deeds, settlement statements, inspection reports, etc., to get the best deal and avoid delays or costly mistakes.

Know how to negotiate the best deal, including pricing, terms, repairs, warranties, date of possession, etc.

Make sure that all conversations, negotiations, and transactions are in compliance with local laws.

Bring an objective voice to an anxiety-provoking and emotional undertaking.

Troubleshoot and handle unexpected setbacks.

Coordinate with title company, attorney, lenders, inspectors, and appraisers to ensure everything is in line for the closing.

Understand the disclosure forms and other legal documents necessary to sell the house and protect the seller from potential lawsuits.

Sellers who try to sell their homes on their own without doing this work run a greater risk of their houses sitting unsold longer, while they continue to pay utilities, taxes, upkeep, and mortgage interest.

Having a house sit unsold because its owners haven’t done the work necessary to get it sold often means that the owners ultimately won’t get the price they were hoping for. It also means that they might miss the opportunity to purchase the new home they had their eye on, unless they’re willing to take on another mortgage.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t sell your home on your own.  But if you don’t have the time, energy, or expertise to be your own terrific real estate agent, then you should get yourself a terrific realtor.

A realtor will not always be able to sell your house as quickly and for exactly the price you were hoping for.  But having an expert on your team does improve your chances for success.