In today’s ever changing real estate market, many homeowners are choosing to sell their homes on their own without a realtor. This method has many advantages and disadvantages to it. Both the positives and negatives need to be compared to determine if selling a home without a realtor is for you.
The main advantage of selling your home by yourself is eliminating the hefty realtor fee. Selling your home by yourself is referred to as a FSBO, or For Sale By Owner. Consult your personal mortgage broker to see if he/she is capable of helping you with your sale. Many mortgage brokers have access to flyers, documents, call capture systems, and other marketing literature and ideas that should help with selling your home. Your mortgage broker will also be able to help you get approved for a new mortgage loan on your new home.
Your mortgage broker will also be able to refer you to a local title company, that will be able to assist you with all of the legal forms that you may need, such as the Offer to Purchase. Many title companies offer these services for free, in hopes that you will order title from them!
If you decide not to use a Real Estate agent, you may want to get some advice or consultation from your lawyer. Filling out a sales contract or reviewing one a buyer submitted can be a daunting task on your own. A lawyer will be able to review it and explain anything out of the ordinary
Many buyers of For Sale By Owner properties expect a discounted purchase price in lieu of the assistance of a realtor. This is often applied as a seller credit to help with the buyer's closing costs.
When selling your home without a realtor, you should still have a realtor do a Comparative Market Analysis. First, you want to make sure your home is priced correctly, so it has the best chance of selling quickly. Second, most people who try to sell their homes themselves eventually hire a realtor to sell it for them. Find a realtor who will be your backup plan in case you decide to hire a professional. When asking for a Comparative Market Analysis, tell the realtor that if you decide you can't go it alone, you will hire them. Most will gladly do the CMA under those conditions.