There are a lot of factors that must be taken into account when deciding which method you will use to sell your home. What is your financial position like? What is your time frame for selling? What is your knowledge of real estate contracts and finding buyers? Are you facing a difficult situation and need to get your home sold immediately, regardless of price? Are you in no rush at all and willing to wait to perhaps receive the highest offer? These factors are all influenced by the method you choose to sell your home.
However, all too often we see sellers decide to take the FSBO (For Sale By Owner), for one reason and one reason alone – the desire to net the highest amount of money possible by saving themselves from paying the necessary real estate agent commission. We understand this desire – it is your house after all – however, any decision should always be made with all the facts present, especially when involving one of the largest assets in most people’s lives. Therefore, we have put together the following advice for homeowners considering an FSBO listing for their Venice property.
You become the Agent
The first piece of advice for homeowners thinking about a FSBO listing for their Venice property that should be taken into consideration is if you are selling your home yourself, you will not have a real estate agent! Sounds obvious right? However, most people forget that this means they will need to become the agent and take on all of the duties that requires. You are essentially taking on this position in order to save yourself the commission that would be paid – finding buyers, advertising, scheduling showings to buyers, checking on the home, putting up and taking down signs each day around the neighborhood, negotiating, etc – all the tasks a good Realtor would traditionally handle (and this is just before the actual offer has been accepted). If this is something that you have the time and knowledge to handle then this considering a FSBO listing may be a good decision for you. If not, you may want to weigh your priorities.
Price your home… accurately.
Our next piece of advise for homeowners considering an FSBO listing for their Venice property is to take care to come to a realistic assessment of the property you are selling. Valuing a house is an art that real estate professionals spend years perfecting and is not always as easy as it sounds. Pricing a home is based on a strategy called a comparable market analysis – comparing your home against comparable properties sold in your neighborhood to arrive at a price.
Set the price at a number too high and your home will likely sit on the market with no offers. Set the price too low and you will likely get your Venice home sold quickly, but resulting in you losing potential profit. It can be difficult, but in order to property price your home you must remove your emotional feelings about your home and put them aside to play the role of real estate agent and avoid feeling insulted when what you may feel are lowball offers. Remaining calm and in control of emotions allows you to handle the negotiations of selling a home without any outbursts that could immediately end the deal. Don’t forget that you should have an inspection done to know the level of repairs needed and do some research to understand the actual expenses of any repairs, this way buyers can’t subtract large amounts of credit off of the asking price in the negotiations.
Utilize Your Selling Points
The size of your Venice house, the number of bedroom or whether you have a 1 car, 2 car or no car garage are all well known features highlighted in FSBO listing, but there are more attributes that can add value to properties. An experienced real estate agent can quickly assess the selling points, so one more piece of advice for homeowners considering an FSBO listing for their Venice property is to think about what makes the home special. What made you decide to move to this location? What stood out in the home to you? What is happening with the schools or neighborhood? We advise you put yourself in the shoes of a potential buyer and highlight your homes unique selling points? If you don’t highlight these aspects of the home in the searchable features on the listing and advertisements, your marketing may not be effective and your home may sit on the market longer than desired.
Showtime and Marketing
As mentioned, one of the most crucial aspects of the home selling process is marketing and showing of the property, so we recommend that homeowners pursuing a FSBO listing for their Venice property do your best to make your home look its best and be available for showings. Professional photos go a long way. Be sure to have your home professionally cleaned and remove as much unnecessary items as possible. We highly recommend staging your home when possible as well – buyers buy with emotion and staging can go a long when in creating strong feelings. A new coat of paint can do wonders as well, but be sure to choose a neutral tone with only one colorful focal point, allowing more buyers to picture themselves as the new owners of your home. Be sure to remove large furniture to keep rooms from looking too small and be sure to remove any personal items such as picture frames. Consider storage for most of your belongings. As for showings, when the phone rings, answer it and make showings your top priority in life. No matter what time it is or how short the notice is, you should have your home ready at all times.
Maio Strand Property Group Last, our final advice for homeowners considering an FSBO listing for their Venice property is to take a moment to review the benefits of working with Maio Strand Property Group instead. Maio Strand Property Group provides multiple options for selling your home, which may end in a better final result for you and less stress along the way. Decide to list with an agent? Studies show listing with an agent can net you a higher sale price, negating the commission fees, and Maio Strand Property Group uses their years of experience to get you the highest price possible. Want to sell off market? Maio Strand Property Group provides a full breakdown of their offer and there are no additional fees. You can compare what you would earn by listing on your own vs. an offer from Maio Strand Property Group for your home as-is. And, with no need for an inspection or making repairs and no hassles from showings, Maio Strand Property Group saves you money and makes the process quick and easy. Your closing could be in as little as a week or delayed if you’re not quite ready, Maio Strand Property Group has the flexibility to work on your schedule. With our full-service team, you can pack what you like and leave the rest behind, and our crew at Maio Strand Property Group even clean up the mess from moving. Contact Maio Strand Property Group at (631) 335-4055.