For Sale By Owner- Why Not?

It has been a tough couple of years for sellers. It seems like we all know someone who lost their job,
then their home. It is sad and terrible and unfortunately, so very common these days. Something I am
seeing is also a lot of people who are trying to sell their house on their own. Yes, I am a Realtor, and
I think you need me, however, I get it! I recently sold my house and had to pay commission to the
buyers agent and even give money to the brokerage I work for. (Yes- Realtors have to pay commissions, too!) It was a lot of money, but being in the business I understand that my chances of selling go up drastically by using a Realtor. Less than 5% of sellers are able to sell their home without using a Realtor. Here are a couple of things to consider when contemplating selling your home on your own.

How soon do I want to move?

If your answer is "I don't really care", then selling your home by owner could be a good option for
you. Most Realtors want to sell the homes they list. They aren't interested in "testing the market" with
overpriced listings. One reason being is that we are only paid if our listing sells, the other reason is
that it doesn't give us much credibility if we have clearly overpriced listings but aren't selling any of
them. Who would want to hire a Realtor who doesn't actually sell houses?

Do I have time to take on a full time job?

This is the thing I think people overlook most often when trying to sell their own home. While it
might appear to some that all a Realtor does is simply stick a sign in the yard and then sit back and
relax, there is actually a lot going on behind the scenes. A good Realtor makes it look easy, just like
with any profession. When I get a new listing I start out by helping the homeowner stage and prepare
their home for photographs and showings. Once it is ready, I take the interior and exterior photos and
then edit them. I plug all of the details of the home into the local MLS and then feed your listing to
dozens of real estate websites. (Truila, Zillow, Coldwell Banker etc.) I send out Just Listed post cards
to targeted areas. I reverse prospect. This is a tool the MLS grants to Realtors that allows us to see
which other Realtors have clients who are looking for homes in certain parts of town and the price
range they are looking for. I contact these agents to let them know I might have a listing their client
could be interested in. I set up showings. This is a BIG one. Anytime someone calls about a listing
and you don't answer, chances are they move on and you miss a prospective buyer!
These are just some of the things I do before negotiating an offer and helping my clients get to the
closing table.
Some people are cut out for it and actually make it work without the help of a Realtor. Many, will
give it a go and realize they aren't up to the task and end up calling a Realtor to do the job. Just a little
food for thought if you are one of the many people considering taking on a new "full time job" this
Spring.

 

Bring on Spring...cleaning?

This has been an exceptionally mild winter across the country, so I am going to go there. I am ready to be done with the gray skies, the early sunsets, seasonal depression... Yes, if it starts snowing the second I hit send for this post, you can blame me. I say we can skip this one. We haven't had to shovel yet, so why now? This Winter has been a bust, so I say we should look ahead.
Even without me willing Winter away, MLB Spring training is rapidly approaching. GO REDS! So, it is time to dust off your baseball hats and maybe also to tend to a less fun task on your list, its time to start preparing your home for Spring- especially if you are planning on putting it on the market! There is one big thing that we can all do that will make you feel better about your home once the sun reappears and Spring officially arrives, de-cluttering.
Do you save every magazine you subscribe to? Do you still have wrapped holiday gifts for family you didn't see in December? Do something about it! If you aren't good at it, enlist a friend or family member who is organized and on top of things. Chances are if they have all of their belongings in order, they would love to help you get yours in order as well. Start small or it could be really overwhelming. If there is a lot to tackle, start with a closet or the garage. The key is to open up the space to make it look clean and bigger.
One place to start is with closets. If your clothes haven't fit in over 3 years, get rid of them. If donating your prom dress or favorite skinny jeans to Goodwill makes your eyes well up with tears, put them in a box. Put it all in boxes! Label these boxes and store them away for safe keeping. Get rid of the wire hangers and and put everything all on hangers of the same color. Stack folded clothes and shoes according to season or color coordinated to give a nice fresh look.

Just remember, if you haven't looked at, worn or used the item in over a year, you don't need it laying out. Put it away and the house will start to look bigger and cleaner than you can imagine. The benefits of organization and de-cluttering will help you no matter if you are thinking of selling your home or if you plan on staying put for years.