Dont Be A Fsbo Seller
By Steve Gillman, Thu Dec 8th

Don't sell it yourself! Sometimes a "FSBO," or house "for saleby owner" can sell as fast, and for as much as it would have iflisted with a real estate agent. Sometimes. Before you decide togive it a try though, consider the following ten points.

1. Most buyers work with agents, and look through MLS listings.If you don't list with an agent, most buyers will never see orhear about your home. It's hard to find that "right" buyer orget top dollar when your invisible to most of the market.

2. FSBOs get lower offers. It's only logical. The buyer thinksyou'll take less because you're saving the commission!



Save$10,000, get $10,000 less - where's the advantage in that?

3. You pay advertising. All the costs the real estate officenormally pays are yours if you sell it yourself. How much willyou spend on ads if it takes a a year to sell? 4. You don't havethe resources. The agent has books of sold properties to lookat, for example, to determine the best price for your home. Youcan get that information by digging through county records, butyou do have to value your time too, right?

5. You may not know the market. What's the target market foryour house? Young couples, retirees? What features are theylooking for? You should know these things before you write yourads. An experienced real estate salesperson will know.

6. You may not know the laws. What about written disclosures,and who pays the real estate transfer tax? Just because you sellit yourself doesn't mean you get to ignore the laws.

7. You may not be a good salesperson. How do you developrapport and properly answer objections? Will your defensivenessscare off a buyer who criticizes your home? Think back to yourown purchases. You know a good salesperson makes a difference.

8. A real estate agent handles the paperwork. Can you help thebuyer properly fill out an offer to purchase? Do you have theother closing documents ready?

9. Real estate agents negotiate for you. When is the last timeyou learned a new negotiating technique? Do you know how tocounter-offer without angering a buyer? A good salesperson istrained in these skills.

10. You may not save a penny. Documents, newspaper advertising,signs for the yard, and more - it's all your expense when yousell it yourself. Then after your hard work, you get low offers,and negotiate poorly? The truth is that sellers often net lessmoney from the sale when they try to save the commission.

You can see why most "FSBO" sellers eventually turn to a realestate agent for help. You can learn to do many of the things anagent does, but is it worth it to spend all that time and maybenot even save any money? Don't sell it yourself unless youreally know what you're doing, and you're ready for the hassle.

About the author:Steve Gillman has invested real estate for years. To learn more,and to see a photo of a beautiful house he and his wife boughtfor $17,500, visit http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com

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