Don't Want To Use A Real Estate Agent

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Don't want to pay a real estate agent?
Be prepared to do some work yourself.With all the online real estate information available to home sellers nowadays, it's not surprising that some of them consider selling without the help of a real estate agent.The biggest advantage of the for-sale-by-owner strategy is not having to pay commission to a listing agent. But those taking on the job themselves need to roll up their sleeves and prepare for a little work to get the home sold, understanding that they will be the ones taking care of tasks ranging from marketing to showing the property to interested buyers.Prepare the house.Before doing anything, make sure that the house is in good shape to show, said Piper Nichole, author of The For Sale By Owner Handbook. That means making sure it is clean, decluttered, odor-free, brightly lit and freshly painted. Curb appeal is also important.She also advises thinking about offering buyer incentives such as flexible move-in arrangementsand providing a home warranty.Price it correctly."The biggest mistake for-sale-by-owners make is pricing their home too high," Nichole said in an e-mail interview. If the home subsequently ends up sitting too long on the market and the asking price is lower, a potential buyer might speculate that something is wrong with the property, she said.You can use ByOwnerMLS.com or ElectronicAppraiser.com to get a starting idea of what a house is worth. A look at a listings site, such as Realtor.com, will reveal what sellers are asking for in the neighborhood, he added.If the home is unique and difficult to compare to others, consider having it appraised, Nichole said.

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