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Find a good listing agent who will provide complimentary professional photographs and do at least one open house every weekend until it sells. Make sure the realtor is a go-getter, meaning their phone doesn't turn off after 5:00 pm.
I personally would not sell FSBO just because of the hassle! You have people wanting to see it that are not even qualified to buy or will try to seriously low ball. Not to mention, it will take longer to sell. Hot market or not, it ALWAYS takes longer when you list FSBO. Just list with the 5% agent and be done. Most agents in my area want 6%. If it's a hot market, list higher to recoup some of the commission.
yeah, that's true, i am not interested in the hassles and headaches. and to make it more complicated i don't even live in that area any more. now i'm leaning to go with the agent...
I sold my house with a flat-fee realtor also in a hot market. It worked for me but it also was stressful. Since you don't live in the area anymore I would advise getting a regular realtor and sell it that way. You don't need the hassle and it will be worth avoiding the stress.
I sold my house with a flat-fee realtor also in a hot market. It worked for me but it also was stressful. Since you don't live in the area anymore I would advise getting a regular realtor and sell it that way. You don't need the hassle and it will be worth avoiding the stress.
can i ask how was this more stressful than a normally commissioned agent? what were the differences?
yeah, that's true, i am not interested in the hassles and headaches. and to make it more complicated i don't even live in that area any more. now i'm leaning to go with the agent...
If you don't live in the area than I definitely wouldn't sell by owner. And to reply to the post about discount realtors...FORGET IT! We tried that once and had hardly any showings. They did a horrible marketing job and basically did nothing. Other agents didn't want to show the property because of the lower commission. Once we switched to a regular agent we received an offer within a week. A "normal" commissioned agent does EVERYTHING!
you will have a hard time selling within 3 days if you're not able to readily show the home, and you don't cast a wide marketing net (Craigslist is not wide).
How did you arrive at your FSBO price a year ago?
As other agents have said in innumerable threads on this forum - there are absolutely cases where selling without the services of a full service professional are warranted and work out just fine.
None of those circumstances involve an owner who lives remotely.
Few of those involve a first-time seller.
Few of those involve a condo building where access can be an additional issue.
I don't think Colorado mom had a great experience with the flat fee broker. She didn't believe she would get a contract in time and she had to lower her price.
As others have hinted it is not so much that "flat fee" or "discount" real estate agents are necessarily worse than full service agents, it is just that their business model is not as well accepted as that of traditional agents. A big part of the hassle is that the whole concept of real estate MLS is based on listing and showing agent SHARING the commission and a reduced commission is a huge disincentive to the folks most likely to help buyers decide that one condo unit makes more sense than another -- it really is sort of like the discount is sabotaging the enthusiasm agents would otherwise have for your unit...
In some ways this is not all that different different than why "fixed price" automobile sales like Saturn flopped -- many good honest car salespeople take satisfaction in "going the extra mile" to work out a deal for folks who are not the best credit risk or are kind of on the fence about a particular car. The "flat fee" model meant that sort of thing was not a factor -- a laid back "if you like it go ahead and buy it" mindset might work in theory BUT in the real world where a Civic or Altima or Corolla salesperson is ALL EXCITED about getting a GOOD DEAL to put you in this GREAT CAR means more cash for the hardworking salesperson and a more enthusiastic buyer that tells friends about how big a discount they got (even if the car ended costing a little bit more...).
Although many people do feel, in hindsight, that maybe they did not as good as possible a price, the excitement factor IN THE MOMENT is what wins out -- that is why there are traditions of live auctions for collectible art / cars, why companies of all kinds run grand opening sales and other "events" and why the business model of real estate agents that work on your behalf to get the best deal for buyer and seller have evolved with the standard compensation models...
Although I have made my living as a real estate agent I am the first to say that sometimes we are not needed. My own aunt, who was a very skillful businesswoman in her own area of expertise, bought / sold several homes FSBO. She lived in areas where there were lots of other thrifty folks, many of home did not need financing as the areas appealed to folks like her that had their own business. She was also someone who had a special gift of "efficient salesmanship" -- talking just enough to find out whether it made sense to move forward with a deal, but not so much to waste anyone's time. She also had her own little network of people that she new who would do little legal matters for her very efficiently, almost as a favor because she ran her business the same way... I also remember that whenever I visited her on a weekend she was maintaining / improving her home and yard -- while other folks would hire a painter she'd get out the drop clothes and "freshen up the look" of things herself. She cut her own lawn, planted shrubs and annual flowers, and not matter the season her home always had the best curb appeal of the whole neighborhood. It is much much more difficult to differentiate a condo in those sorts of ways and the influence of an enthusiastic sales agent is a bigger factor.
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