I’m sure you’ve heard many arguments whether or not a Realtor is better at selling your home than you are. Every Realtor, without fail, will tell you that they can sell your home faster and for more money than you can. They will even have statistics to prove their point. On the flip-side, almost every “For Sale By Owner” site on the web will tell you the opposite. So who do you believe when both parties are self-serving?

Being a Realtor with a working team and also the CEO of a “For Sale By Owner” website, I will attempt to take an unbiased approach to this argument and cover the pros and cons of each stance. There are 4 points that a Realtor will base their arguments on and so I think it is only fair to address each of these points.

4 Points Or “Arguments” A Realtor Will Make
1. A Realtor can price your home more accurately.
2. A Realtor can negotiate the deal better than you can.
3. A Realtor can sell your home for more money.
4. A Realtor can sell your home faster.

So let’s ask each question and talk about the real answers. (more…)

Writing an effective property description can make or break the sale of your home. It can either attract potential buyers like a magnet or push then away like a bowl of rotten eggs. Property descriptions must generate interest in the property and give the buyer a reason to want to see it. Here are some tips for writing your property description:

1. Write positive headlines
   The purpose of your headline is to grab the buyer’s attention and compel him to want to see your home. Writing positive headlines such as ‘Beautiful Home For Sale’ will attract more buyers than ‘Bank Foreclosure’.
2. Describe the best features
   Don’t just list the features of your home. Describe the benefits to the buyer, telling the buyer why they will want that feature. Instead of saying ’family room, fireplace, 3 bedrooms’, say ‘family room with fireplace to snuggle around on cold winter nights. 3 spacious bedrooms with lots of closet and storage space’. (more…)

You have worked hard to sell your property as For Sale By Owner and have an offer in hand…now what? It is important to understand how the negotiating process works and how to protect yourself and your assets (especially when selling your home For Sale By Owner). Here are tips to navigate your way through to signatures on the dotted line.

1. Reply in writing.
   Take time to review the offer you have in hand and always reply in writing. Whereas mere handshakes worked in days past, having everything spelled out in writing is the only way to avoid misunderstandings and legal headaches further down the road. You have a number of options after receiving the offer. You can accept the offer as is, make a counteroffer or reject the offer outright. If the buyer is not being represented by a Realtor, ensure they are using legal binding contracts. You can find real estate contracts on FSBOmarketplace.com’s Real Estate Forms page. (more…)

There are many obstacles that can kill a deal between the time you accept a contract and getting your money at the closing table. Below are the details that need to be taken care of during this critical period.

1. Home inspection.
   Your contract may allow the buyer to conduct a home inspection to determine the condition of the property and ensure there are no flaws to the property’s major systems. After the inspection, the buyer may ask for repairs to be completed for him to move forward with the sale. Repair requests are negotiable and can cause the deal to fall through if you and the buyer cannot agree. Keep possible repairs in mind when first accepting an offer.

   Any agreed upon repairs will need to be completed prior to closing with an additional inspection from the buyer to determine work has been done in a workman-like manner. Consult with your lawyer to see where your obligations are. Find a Home Inspector. (more…)

Whether you are selling your home as For Sale By Owner or using a Realtor, it is very common for home buyers to make a contract contingent upon a satisfactory Home Inspection so that they can determine the condition of the property’s major systems and structure. Usually the inspection is conducted within a pre-determined time frame and if the time constraint is not met, the home inspection contingency is automatically removed. The inspection is usually at the buyer’s expense and can range anywhere from $200 – $500. Find a Home Inspector here.

After the inspection, the buyer has a number of options… he can (1) remove the contingency clause. Or if he is not satisfied with the condition of the property he can (2) ask for repairs to be completed by the seller or (3) merely walk away from the contract and have his earnest money deposit returned to him. Bottom line, the home inspection is a re-negotiating tool for the buyer.
(more…)

When you list your property for sale, one of the most important (if not THE most important) elements of your listing are the photos. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then having at least 10 photos available will give you ten-thousand words.

With an estimated 80%+ of home buyers starting their search on the Internet, photos have replaced curb appeal as the most important place where first impressions are made. According to a National Assn. of Realtors survey of the Web features that buyers found most important, 83% chose photos, 81% selected detailed property information and 60% selected virtual tours.

Every day, decisions about which homes to see and which homes to skip are made based on what a home buyer sees while viewing homes online. You can clearly see the importance that photos have on selling your home. If you can’t get the buyer in the door, you can’t sell the house.

So, is there a way to get better photos, short of hiring a pro? Here are several tips to spruce up your home and photos for maximum effect.
(more…)

Today’s market is super-competitive, this much is for sure. For Sale By Owner sellers need to do everything they can to move their homes off the market as quickly as possible. This may explain why “staging” has become such a hot trend when selling in this real estate market. Unlike some trends that are more trouble than they’re worth, this is one trend that can really pay off! Here are 12 reasons why you should consider staging your home:

1. Turbo Boost Sales Time
   Experts all agree and studies show staged homes sell quicker than non-staged homes. Sometimes 30-50% faster in most areas. This is more important then most people realize because the longer a home is on the market….the greater chance for a price reduction. Most buyers and their agents believe that, if a home has been on the market for some time, there must be something wrong with it or that the seller will be anxious to sell and will take much less than the asking price.

(more…)

We have mentioned many times in our previous articles about how important pricing your home is but let me give you a little tip that may help you sell your home for more.

Tip #1 – PRICE YOUR HOME ACCURATELY
Once you know what your home is worth, now is the tricky part. Setting the selling price. If you set it too high, you will get less visitors to see your home. If you set the price too low, potential buyers will be suspicious and think something is wrong OR think you are desperate to sell and try to negotiate you down even further. The trick is simple, price it accurately the first time and within a few thousand of where you want the home to close at. Ultimately, there will be more offers and less negotiating on the price.
(more…)

When pricing your home to sell as “by owner”, you may consider the price you originally paid, add a substantial markup and presume you’re done. This would be a grave mistake; one that could wind up costing you thousands or end in no sale at all. In order to price your home to sell there are many things that should be considered:

Obtain A CMA (Comparative Market Analysis):
When selling your home as “For Sale By Owner”, it is especially important to get a CMA or “House Value Report” which will give you an idea of the price your home should sell. A CMA details the prices of similar homes recently sold, on-the-market homes as well as homes that simply did not sell in your area.

Be wary of real estate agents attempting to “buy” your listing. An agent practicing this technique will often sweet-talk you with their elevated price recommendation waiting only a few weeks to insist on a price reduction. Be mindful: a home on the market for extended periods become less sellable. People begin to wonder if there are significant defects with the property or whether the seller is truly motivated.
(more…)