For sale by owner - and your success

[Michael Arnold]

I’m wrapping up a flip in MI neighborhood that tells me the home should sell in 1-10 days. We want to sell the property fsbo because there is a solid chunk of cash to be saved by doing so. Of course RE agents say fsbo is shi% and you won’t get top dollar like they can. This is a lottery listing for agents if they get it because it will be a ridiculously fast sale based on the data... the agents know this. PAY DAY. House should sell $320k-$330k. Excellent schools and neighborhood. We will have the house fresh and move in ready! How have YOU won on deals with fsbo and what advice do you have? Mike

[Shannon S.]

Just my 2cents. It's completely true that some agents simply see $ and easy paycheck. Clearly, that's not who you want. But a good Realtor doesn't approach it that way. A good Realtor provides a comprehensive analysis, advice on making the home market ready, guidance through the offer and negotiation process, a ton of referrals for various industry professionals in the event they are needed, a marketing network that is far beyond "it's on the MLS" (i.e syndication and social media), and the backing of a brokerage that ensures every part of the transaction is handled not only within the law, but in a way that protects you. I'm sure someone will want to debate this, but there have been numerous, fully vetted studies that show that FSBO's leave substantial money on the table, by pricing their home wrong, making a negotiation mistake, a contractual mistake, or a hundred plus other mistakes that are easy to make. It's not rocket science, but there are LOTS of variables. A good Realtor knows what those are and how to handle them going in the door. What's your time worth, by the way? The average real estate transaction requires a pretty big chunk of time for me to handle, and I have an administrative team, automated systems and templates, and experience. That's not even including showings and open houses. Again - just my 2cents. I understand that there many crappy agents out there, but there are many who will not only sell your house, but get you the highest $, and make it as easy for you as possible.