What will get our house sold asap?

[mlv311]

Originally Posted by countrypooh4

We're trying to sell our townhouse in Homestead, FL due to relocation. It's a 2 year old townhouse in a very nice new development. There are quite a few THs for sale in the same area. What can we do to stand out and sell asap? Our TH is a corner lot and has brand new laminate wood flooring and tile throughout. There's been very little interest and no traffic at the open houses. We need to sell asap. Any suggestions?

If you truly need to sell ASAP due to relocation and selling on your own hasn't brought the results expected, you should seriously consider getting a very experienced agent in your area. We also relocated less than 6 months ago and were the only ones in our development who were able to sell our home quickly very close to our asking price. You can't change your home's location, but the price and how it shows are two aspects that will make it stand apart. An experienced agent will advise you well on those and will market your home widely, including to other realtors in the area who are likely to be the ones showing your home to potential buyers. Good luck.

[Roselvr]

Originally Posted by Roma

I would use a Realtor. You said you need to sell ASAP. They market your home. Advertise it. Let other Realtors know that your home is for sale.
That is the way I would go. You can always negotiate the 6% commission if that is what is holding you back from using one.

I have to agree with Roma for a few reasons.
Location - I hear the market is pretty bad down there to begin with
Townhouse - they used to be what everyone wanted, now they aren't as popular depending on your area. From the way it sounds, there are a few for sale and unless you can use the fact that you are FSBO to your advantage by drastically reducing your price lower then other units, what sets yours apart and how much more desirable is it then the rest?
Agent vs. FSBO - are you offering a decent commission to the buyers agent? If not, it could be another strike against you. What agent will show it if you do not pay them?
Inventory, etc - with the other units available, even if you do give a commission, how do agents know it is for sale, are you listed on realtor.com? What kind of advertising can you do verses an agent?
Market - this market is hard to sell in even with an agent. Sellers need all of the help they can get. An experienced agent knows what they have to do to help your house sell quicker

[shellytc]

Frankly, there are very few buyers out there, wait amend that, very few APPROVED buyers out there. Especially in Florida. So, do you want the maximum exposure for your home or the least amount of exposure for your home? Are you "hoping" that someone will see your sign in the window? Agents belong to MLS for the reason that their listings get the most exposure and opportunity to sell the property. It is the widest net out there, added with the experience of an agent to help you show, negotiate, and keep you out of hot water with disclosures, etc.

It makes sense if you need to sell as quickly as possible, than you need to list your home with an agent.

shelly

[CouponJack]

Shelly is right on here.

Also, be prepared to sell your TH for alot less than what you think.

Is your pricing extremely aggressive?

[gbone]

Originally Posted by bls5555

You guys are acting like the only way to advertise your home is with a realtor.

Iggyshouse.com gets you on the MLS.

Forsalebyowner.com is a widely viewed website.

Do it by owner. Save yourself the commision as it is more than likely going to sell for the same price (or at least close) no matter which way you do it.

Well documented national statistics show that FSBOs sell for 16% less than if they had gone through a realtor. A FSBO is also probably going to have to pay a buyers agent commission which is usually half of the 6% you quoted. Some FSBOs work out well and apparently yours has in the past. However, most don't and people end up losing more money than had they used a realtor. To go FSBO and have a chance at being successful, you have to be very real estate savvy and have the time and skills needed for a successful and profitable close. In my experiences I have found that no more than about 1 in 10 people know enough about real estate to successfully sell their own home. I would only recommend that someone go FSBO if they knew what they were doing. To tell someone to sell it themselves without knowing how real estate savvy they are is a shot in the dark and a somewhat risky one at that.