Should You Fsbo Or Use A Realtor?
By Vicki Walker, Fri Dec 9th
b>Should You FSBO or Use A Realtor?
When it comes time to sell your home, should you try to sell iton your own, or should you list it with a licensed Realtor?Consider the following factors to help you decide:
EXPOSURE
Realtors, or real estate agents, are part of an office ofagents, and each of them knows of buyers that are currently inthe market for a home. Their buyers are pre-qualified, that is,they have already seen a lender and have qualified for a loan sothe buyer knows exactly how much they can afford, and theRealtor does too. In many areas, a realtor won't even show homesto a buyer until they pre-qualify. The process saves a lot ofwasted time on everybody's part.
Contrast this with the prospect of you putting up a "For Sale"sign in your front yard,
and having to deal with people thatwill be calling you to talk about your house and want to walkthrough it, even though they don't have the resources toactually buy it. In the end, they are just wasting your time.
Realtors also have contact with many people from out of town whoare relocating to your area. Each realtor in town gets contactedfrequently through their website, by people that are looking fora home by long-distance. They may be coming to town soon to lookat available homes for a few days. The Realtor lines up a numberof homes for them to tour that fit their criteria. One of themcould be yours.
But, if you FSBO, that potential buyer won't know your house ison the market until they get to town, if then.
EXPERIENCE
A real estate agent will be able to assist in setting the rightprice to list your home, according to the current marketconditions.
A real estate agent is a trained professional who will spend thenecessary amount of time it may take to get your home SOLD.
The agent understands and will take care of all the necessarypaperwork to complete the buying process. The agent will alsoact as a liaison between you and the inspectors, thebuyer'sagent, and between attorneys, if they are involved.
Most buyers prefer to deal with a real estate agent because theagent will give them the unbiased professional opinion on ahouse, and how it stacks up against other houses on the market.
Agents understand all the different types of loans and financingoptions. They can provide information to buyers about locallending institutions to fit their needs.
ADVERTISING
Realtors have many ways to advertise your home, not just anewspaper ad and a "For Sale" sign in the yard. They alsoutilize the following ways to advertise a home:
The Multiple Listing Service
Open Houses
Web sites like Realtor.com and Yahoo Real Estate
Direct mail
Newspaper inserts
Regional Real Estate Magazines
Cable TV
Realtor "Caravans" where 30 or more Realtors will tour your homeand then match it to their prospective buyers.
How much of this marketing muscle can you flex if you FSBO?
SHOWING YOUR HOME
Agents have expertise to help you get your home in top shapebefore your prospective buyers arrive. They can help you "stage"your home to look more like a model home that would appeal to alarger group of buyers. They know how to emphasize and focus onyour homes good points.
If you FSBO you will be learning the process as you go, a costlyeducation when you are trying to sell your own home.
SUMMARY
With all the time, knowledge, effort, and paperwork it takes tosell a home, you should take some of the work, frustration andfear out of the process, and hire a professional!
About the author:Vicki Walker is a Realtor, serving clients in Davis, Woodland,and Yolo County, California. You can visit her two websites Davis California RealEstate or WoodlandReal Estate and Homes for more information. *Publish thisarticle to your website. Requirement - live link with URL'sabove.
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