Are you thinking about selling your home yourself without the help of a real estate agent? In 2018, about 11% of homes sold were by “For Sale By Owner.”
Some of the challenges people selling this way face are getting the correct price, selling within the time period, preparing the house for sale, and understanding the paperwork. The National Association of Realtors stated that an FSBO will sell a home at $200,000 and an agent will sell the same house at $280,000.
Real estate agents have much more experience and understand the market far better than you, but this doesn’t mean you can’t succeed in selling your house on your own. We’re going to go over some tricks to help you sell your home fast.
Choose the Correct Listing Website
When you get started with For Sale By Owner, you should first check out some of the independent listing sites. You can look at houses on the market that are in the same location, the equivalent size, and that have similar features as yours.
You’ll get an understanding on how to create your posts and how to highlight your home to sell quickly. Some sites are more popular than others when it comes to selling a house. Look for the one that gets the most views in your area and choose that one.
You can always post on more than one site to get the most visibility.
List a Competitive Price
One of the problems FSBO has is listing at the correct price. If you want to sell fast, you’ll need to lower your expectations. However, you don’t want to lose thousands of dollars just because you’re selling yourself.
It might be worth getting an appraiser to come in and give you their expert advice. If you don’t want to do this, use the listing websites or look at the price of homes in your area. Remember, you can always change the amount or negotiate with buyers.
Take Amazing Photos
When you’re posting on the listing websites, you want your house to stand out. Having high-quality photos of your home can make all the difference. If it looks inviting online, people will want to come in and take a look.
Ask a friend to borrow a professional camera and think about lighting. Take away clutter and get the best angles for your listing. If you struggle with photography, you can hire someone who’s an expert to help you.
Stage Your Home
When selling a home, setting it up right is essential for it to go quickly and at a good price. It was stated that properties sold for 25% more when staged properly.
The first thing to do is to take out all clutter and personal items. Next, make sure you clean all areas. Do a few home renovations, such as a fresh coat of paint, new light bulbs, steam clean your couch, or wax the floors. This will make your house look bright and inviting.
Know When to Ask for Help
When you’re doing FSBO, it can be a lot of work you didn’t expect. When no one is giving you offers, or you’re not at a comfortable amount to sell, it might be time to call in a professional.
After making a good effort, working with a real estate agent can be beneficial. You can still take the lead, but they can help you with some of the little things. This can make you sell your home within your desired time period.
The Bottom Line
Selling a home as an FSBO can be a rewarding challenge. You have the control and can call all of the shots. However, it’s a lot of work and can be difficult to be successful.
Our best tips are to post on the correct listing site, have a competitive price, take high-quality pictures, stage your house, and know when to ask for help. With these tricks, your home will sell fast.