Why you should use an agent when selling your home

1. In the past an ad in the local newspaper when produce a fair amount of calls. Today, a three line ad in a local newspaper has little chance of competing with the wide array of information online, including video, color photos, 360-degree virtual tours and a wealth of community and lifestyle data.

2. Most buyers comb the major websites simply because it's more convenient. Unless someone is specifically looking for a "For Sale By Owner" they will never land on your property.

3. Even for those who do search for FSBO, most buyers will automatically deduct 6 percent from the sales price because they want the savings in their pockets not the seller's. Both sides cannot save the sales commission. The result is that many FSBOs end up selling for up to 20 percent less on average as compared with sellers who hire a Realtor.

4. The major challenge for FSBOs is the needle-in-a -haystack nature of the web. The are literally thousands of websites including thousands more company and agent sites. Without search engine optimization, tags, and a host of other branding strategies  to achieve high web placement, the probability of a web buyer finding the FSBOs single listing online is small.

Of course, the FSBO could post their home on Craigslist. There are two challenges however. First, the FSBO has to repost the ad regularly for it to appear near the top where it can be found. Second, there have been so many scams and unsavory people using the site to identify targets for possible criminal activity that  listing there could be a safety issue.

5. Another issue FSBOs must face is that most web buyers are reluctant to provide contact information to a stranger, especially during the search process. Instead, buyers identify homes they want to see and then normally contact an agent to show them all of the homes they want to see, not just a single home.

6. Because FSBOs don't have lockboxes, that means the FSBO will need to be present for every showing. There are numerous challenges with this situation, the most important of which is safety. Is the person who wants to see your house legitimate or not? even if you accept an offer from a potential buyer, how do you know whether that person meets the income and credit requirements to close the deal?

Selling your home is a big decision and transaction. You  need the help of a professional. Call me and I will help make this process less stressful and more profitable.