Considering A FSBO Home Sale? Why You Should Sell With An Agent Instead
Getting ready to sell your house? You will have the option to use an agent or sell it on your own. The latter is referred to as FSBO, or for sale by owner, and can be more difficult to do than you think. While it is tempting to save on those commission costs, you may find that this is a job best left to an agent for the following reasons.
You'll Save Time
Many homeowners decide to use an agent to make the sale because of all the time it will save you. However, one aspect of the job that can be very time consuming is showings. Every time a potential buyer wants to someone wants to see the home you will need to be responsible for being home to let them in.
These showing don't always happen during evenings and weekends, but can happen during the middle of the day. Are you capable of leaving work for a couple hours to do showings with no guarantee that it will lead to a sale. If not, the FSBO route may not be best for you.
An agent only gets paid if the home is sold, which motivates them to get an offer on it as fast as possible. They have the time to do showings during the day, handle marketing, and even host an open house on the weekend. There are all tasks you would need to take time out of your day to do on your own.
You'll Sell Quickly
The typical homeowner is not in tune with everything that is happening in the local real estate market, which can make selling a home challenging.
A FSBO sale requires that you can price your home correctly to attract buyers, stage the home with furniture if it is currently empty, and advertise to people looking to buy a home. The goal is to sell as fast as possible for the best price. If these are things you don't know how to do, then FSBO may not be right for you.
You'll Save Money
A FSBO sale means that you save money on the commission when the home is sold, but will you really save money? It depends on how well you do the job. You could actually lose money if you do not know what you're doing when selling on your own.
Pricing the home too low could result in potential lost revenue on the overall sales price, which could have been avoided by using a agent. A price that is too high will cause a home to sit on the market. Each month without a sale is another month that you need to pay interest on your mortgage, property taxes, and utility costs.
Contact a local real estate agent for more information about what they can bring to the table.