You have been considering the idea of selling your house and moving to another state. Maybe contemplating of doing FSBO for one of the condos in a caribbean real estate investment portfolio. The time has just arrived. What is next? Should you sell it yourself or ask a real estate agent’s help with listing? Below, you will find why selling all by yourself can be a mistake, especially if it is your first-time home selling experience, and how you can correct it and sell successfully.
Most sellers on their own start with local newspaper or online agencies. However, most of them are also unprepared for the chain of events that will take place when the ad is up and running. They find themselves answering a lot of questions that they never imagined would come up from would-be buyers. Often times, they are unable to tell the difference between a prospect and agent. Other times, they are totally unaware of the exact number pertaining to their property tax, heating cost, square footage and other details of the house.
Remember, in the absence of outside help, you are the salesperson here. Any sale you make as a result will save you on real estate commission and other fees real estate professionals charge. So, before that ad is up, make sure to describe the property with as much details as possible. And do not forget to give out the right direction to the property as well as any and all available landmarks so that buyers don’t have to ask for it on their way in a busy highway. You may follow the format of the listing that comes with most real estate websites, and if you are using newspaper, ask for their standard format. In essence, a typical listing should contain the address, style, square footage, number of rooms, multiple photos, property tax, maintenance cost, type of utility, number of floors, direction, phone or email to reach and so on.
When you have the listing up and calls are coming from prospect buyers, have their numbers down in a safe place. If email is the way they communicate, create a special file for each of those prospects. For real estate agents, showing house involves giving the buyers the direction, even accompanying them from their starting point. For you, as an independent seller, a phone conversation with the buyer should be able to clear out any confusion about house location. Your primary goal here is to get the buyer to your property without any complication. They should feel that the route and house is safe to visit. So, send them the street map, locate the house, give direction or be specific during the conversation. This way your property will be competing in equal grounds with those that are sold by real estate professionals. You even have advantage over the agents in that you know your neighbors and community better than any of them. Being well-prepared and resourceful might get special attention from buyers who will be willing to offer competitive price for your listing.
