We have all heard it in our careers, "We want to try selling it ourselves."
While it's not unheard of for sellers to want to sell their homes without a real estate agent, the success rate is often less than desirable. It's understandable to want to save on agent commissions, but whether or not your home will sell all depends on how it's marketed. Research shows that homes sold by owners often sell for less than homes sold by a real estate professional, so it might not be a money saving venture after all.
If you're seriously considering selling your home without a real estate agent, I encourage you to read the following about marketing your property. The difference between a home that sells and one that sits on the market forever all depends on how the property is marketed. There are two approaches to marketing a property.
Passive Marketing:
This approach to marketing is as it sounds - passive. The idea is to do little marketing and assume the right buyer will find your property and make an offer. Passive marketers do the bare minimum like holding open houses, sending flyers, or paying for advertising in local publications. Since this is what every real estate agent does, there's little chance that your home will stand out to buyers among all the other homes on the market. Does this sound like the best way to market your home and get it sold quickly? Hopefully not.
Active Marketing:
Again, this approach is as it sounds - active! Assuming you choose me to represent you, it will be my responsibility to actively market your property. This means I will literally get on the phone every single day and personally contact as many people as I can to let not only buyers know about your property but other agents as well. In today's real estate market, it's not just consumers on the hunt for properties anymore - there’s a whole network of active real estate agents representing buyers that might just have the perfect buyer for your property.
Properly marketing a home is a full-time job. Working with a real estate professional can guarantee that your best interests are taken care of. A real estate professional can help you negotiate the best price and help you avoid several pitfalls along the way, from beginning to close of the transaction. Selling your home by yourself on the other-hand has the potential to cost you more in terms of time and money than you would have ended up paying in commission.
