Selling your house without an agent: a step-by-step guide
Website design By BotEap.comDo you really need a real estate agent these days? Yes and no. Yes, you absolutely can sell your house yourself. No, it’s not as easy as you think, but I’ll explain how to do it below, should you decide to go that route.
Website design By BotEap.comWith the rise of sites like Zillow, Redfin, and Trulia, the real estate industry has shifted from a need-based to a knowledge-based industry. You NO NEED to hire an agent anymore, in fact with many agents you might be better off doing it yourself. A good real estate agent will know how to negotiate, be an expert in the community, a great marketer, and very knowledgeable regarding all standard contracts and state forms.
Website design By BotEap.comIf you know enough to get in trouble, you will get in trouble.
Website design By BotEap.comThese are my steps to a successful FSBO (For Sale By Owner)
Website design By BotEap.com1. Determine your market value. Obviously, you can familiarize yourself with what’s selling in your area by visiting Zillow and such, but pay $30 for a smartzip Comparative Market Analysis (CMA), to help properly evaluate your property. A CMA will provide you with comparable sales and active listings. You must be informed if you are negotiating with a potential buyer.
Website design By BotEap.com2. Pay an MLS-only type service around $300 to list your home on the MLS and offer at least 2.5% to any buyer’s agent who brings you a buyer. Use images from an experienced real estate photographer (yes, it matters) and stage your house if it’s empty or make it presentable if you still live there (yes, that matters too).
Website design By BotEap.com3. List your home on Craigslist and forsalebyowner.com using postlets or vflyer to create a virtual flyer.
Website design By BotEap.com4. Put up a yard sign with colored fliers (you can put some black and white ones for backing) and a web address linking potential buyers to your house.
Website design By BotEap.com5. Run a Facebook ad campaign targeting engaged or married women between the ages of 25 and 35 in your area, and create a Google AdWords pay-per-click campaign for the keywords “[neighborhood (not city) name] houses for sale”, enter details rather than just the name of the city.
Website design By BotEap.comhas. ex.
Website design By BotEap.comI. Properties in Black Gold for sale
Website design By BotEap.comii. Yorba Linda High School
Website design By BotEap.comiii. Horse Property for sale
Website design By BotEap.com6. Ask a good escrow company to help you with the transaction (this will cost you on average about 1% of the purchase price). The escrow officer is the “quarterback” of the transaction. A good one will make all the difference in the world. If your buyer is represented by an agent, they may insist on using their escrow agent. If you know his escrow agent is a good one, don’t let them talk you into using yours. Here in Yorba Linda and Anaheim Hills, the seller usually chooses the escrow companies.
Website design By BotEap.com7. Price it right! If you are not getting much feedback in your first 3 weeks. This is an indication that your home is overpriced.
Website design By BotEap.com8. Disclose, Disclose, Disclose. The standard California Residential Purchase Agreement (RPA) used by any agent (at least a competent one) will require you to have all disclosures to the buyer within 5 days of submitting your offer. The disclosures will be different depending on the property being sold. Your escrow officer can help you with this.
Website design By BotEap.com9. Ask the buyer to eliminate their contingencies (if they have any). Contingencies are usually removed after 17 days of the accepted offer, but again it depends on what is written in the contract. Read and understand the contract, before accepting any offer.
Website design By BotEap.comSelling your home without an agent is similar to setting up your corporation or trust on LegalZoom, sure it can be done and save you money up front, but you never know how much it will cost you down the road or what little mistakes can hurt. your.
Website design By BotEap.comGet informed and you can definitely sell your home without an agent.