Occasionally a seller thinks the best idea may be to sell his home himself. In a market like this one, especially, the idea of giving up any of the dollars realized by the sale to pay a commission can be daunting. However, selling your home yourself is usually not a good option. For example, a seller in one of our 55+ communities had listed his home for sale by owner (FSBO) where it languished on the market for more than 6 months, because he didn't have the Realtor connections necessary to market his property properly. He also was overpriced, because he didn't have a Realtor to help him compare his property and price with similar properties to see what price they had brought. During the time that his home was FSBO, property values declined dramatically and he was always "chasing the market." In other words, had he priced somewhat below current market value and if his property had been properly marketed, he undoubtedly would have sold sooner. In the end, he listed with a Realtor, priced the house competively on his Realtor's advice, and the house sold within one day. Yes, he paid a commission. But, by trying to sell the house himself he actually lost more the he would have paid in commission because of the decline in value.
Here is a list of just some of the basics that as your listing agent I will do. Saving money on real estate commissions can cost you a fortune in lost time and lost money for your home. Here are just a few things to consider:




