Selling a home without a real estate agent is definitely doable. In fact more and more people are choosing to do so because of the freedom and accessibility the Internet has given them. Selling a home is no longer just a matter of sticking a sign on the front lawn and hoping for someone to happen upon it. Selling a house on your own today is all about effective use of the web.
Before you begin you should prepare your home in the same way a real estate agent would have you do it. Then you need to concentrate on marketing and the legal side of things. The following tips will help to ensure the sale of your home.
STEP 1:
Stage your home inside. This means de-clutter it, remove your personal photos from display, remove excess stuff and store it elsewhere to make the home appear roomier. Clean it thoroughly and make each room look its best.
STEP 2:
Take digital pictures and videos of your home at its very best. These tools will be extremely valuable for your online advertising.
STEP 3:
Research the listing price. Find comparable homes in your neighborhood and find out what they have sold for and use this as a pricing guide.
STEP 4:
List your home everywhere you can. Take out every free home listing ad you can on Web sites for your area. Be sure to include online classifieds like Craigslist. Advertise in your local paper also.
STEP 4:
List you home on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service). This will ensure that your home gets the exposure it needs to people who are looking to buy. FSBO.com offers the service for a flat fee of less than $300.
STEP 6:
Dont forget to put up a For Sale by Owner sign in your front yard. Some of your neighbors might know someone looking to move into their neighborhood. Prospective buyers may also come across your home by accident as they are touring neighborhoods that they are interested in purchasing in.
STEP 7:
Network and tell everyone you know that your home is for sale. Mention it often on your social networking sites also, such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.
STEP 8:
Be ready to leave home. Be available to get the family and pets out of your home at a couple of hour's notice, so buyers can come by and take a look.
STEP 9:
Be easy to reach. Leave a cell phone number or other phone number that is usually answered.
STEP 10:
Keep your house as clean as possible while living in it. This will make life much easier when you have only a couple of hours to get out and clean up.
STEP 11:
Hold an open house. Choose a weekend day. Have another adult or two help for security. Advertise it well. If your neighborhood is having a community yard sale, you may want to have an open house on the same day. This ensures good traffic.
STEP 12:
Hire a real estate attorney. This will help you make sure you have all your bases covered before accepting an offer and at closing. Remember that people will expect to get big discounts from a by owner sale. You will also have to deal with the negatives like hearing your home and taste criticized as you show it to potential buyers. Selling your own home also requires a lot of work and research on your part. However, with some hard work and dedication you can indeed sell your home without a real estate agent.
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