7 Tips To Help You Sell On Your Own
As a real estate agent, I like to educate others about their other options when the time is right to sell their home and what would be a good option for them.
If you are selling your home, you may be put in the position to make many decisions. One of the first ones is deciding whether or not you’re going to hire a full-service or “discount” real estate agent. The other option is to go it alone and become a FSBO, a For Sale By Owner. There is a new company called Sold that helps you make that decision. You may want to check out that site.
Finally, if you decide to sell your home (FSBO), you must take a note that being a successful FSBO means a commitment of time and effort on your part.
Here are 7 of our top tips for selling your own home.
1) Accurately Pricing Your Home
Determining your listing price is a very important part of the puzzle. Price it too high and buyers will shun you. Price it too low, and you’ll be left wondering how much money you left on the table.
To price your home, you need to do some research. But don’t worry all you need is available online, for free. Visit home listing sites such as:
Heck, sometimes agents send you postcards saying, “Just Sold!”, or “Just Listed.” You can use that information, too.
2) The MLS: Get On It!
The MLS, or Multiple Listing Service, is a national database of home for sale listings. It used to only be available to Realtors and real estate agents. But now, anyone can list a home for sale on the MLS. Specialty real estate services, such as Fizber.com, sell flat-fee MLS listing packages at very affordable prices.
Over 90% of homebuyers begin their home search online; therefore having your home listed on the MLS is definitely a “must do.”
3) Promote Your Property
Once you get on the MLS, you’ve got to market your property for sale. Get signs, brochures made, share it on your Facebook page, tweet about it, use Craig’s List, send emails to your friends and family. Get as creative as you possibly can!
4) Your Home Is Special—Sell It That Way!
When writing about your home in listing ads and real estate marketing materials, you have to include the basics such the price, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, kitchen details, what upgrades you’ve recently made, etc.
But try and go beyond the factual stuff. Get descriptive and sell a lifestyle to buyers. Tell them how great the greenbelt view will look when they bbq on the new deck. Or how beautiful the sunsets are from the many walking trails in the surrounding area.
5) Get Prepped To Sell
Before you show your home to potential buyers, you’ve got to put all of your home’s potential on display. That means making a great first impression by fixing all repairs, doing a thorough cleaning, decluttering and depersonalizing the interior, cranking up the curb appeal, and staging the home like a pro. For more details on prepping your own home for sale, click here (LINK).
6) Tour Guide
Once your home is ready to show, you’re the one who has to show it off! This means being available at all hours, including evenings and weekends.
Remember, being your own home’s tour guide can be tricky: you want to give buyers detailed info about the property, but try and be objective as possible, and don’t take any negative comments too personally.
7) Lawyer Up
Once all the hoopla of showings and tours is over, you’ll hopefully have an offer or two. This is a good time to look into hiring a real estate attorney. They can help you with negotiating counter offers, and they’ll help you review all the documents and contracts related to the closing of your home. It’s not free, but less than paying a commission and it’s more than worth it to cover yourself from a legal standpoint.
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