Selling Your Home Without a Real Estate Agent
TABLE OF CONTENTS (skip ahead)
TABLE OF CONTENTS (expand)
by Homepie | Published Nov 13, 2020
So why is real estate any different? Recent statistics released by Zillow tell us that 36% of people selling their home attempt to do it without a real estate agent, and that 79% of buyers search for a new home online. But many For Sale by Owner sellers give up before the house sells, for a couple of reasons: they become discouraged by the hurdles along the way, or a real estate agent has convinced them they can’t do it on their own.
But the truth is, you can do it on your own. Homepie can help you clear the hurdles that trip up so many homeowners so you can reap the benefits of selling your own home. Read on to learn how to sell your house without a realtor.
Benefits of For Sale by Owner (FSBO)
There are some really great benefits to selling your own home without the help of an agent. One huge benefit is saving on fees. When you don’t have to pay a 6% commission to agents, you can potentially save tens of thousands from the sale.
In California, for example, 6% of a home’s selling price is a ton of money. That could easily be a kitchen remodel on your next home or a brand new Tesla.
Other benefits of selling FSBO include having control over the sale and negotiations, knowing the best selling points for your home, and the autonomy that lets you wait for the best offer, not just the first offer.
Challenges of For Sale by Owner (FSBO)
Several obstacles present themselves to FSBO homeowners in the process of selling. It’s important to be aware of them ahead of time so you can plan and prepare for your FSBO journey. These can include:
- Researching and obtaining the right legal forms
- Pricing your property to sell
- Marketing your home effectively
- Managing all the moving parts (it doesn’t stop when the offer is accepted)
- Your home may take longer to sell, making it an even bigger time commitment
However, selling a home on your own doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Homepie.com provides solutions to these challenges FSBO sellers face.
Tips for Selling Your Own Home
Despite the tools and resources Homepie offers, selling your home without a real estate agent still takes effort to get it done right. Here are some tips to help you succeed:
Clean and declutter
Your house should look as attractive as possible to potential buyers. This means clearing away dust and grime and also decluttering junk that takes up unnecessary space. Shelve all those refrigerator magnets that you’ve collected from around the country. Your home will feel more open and inviting if it’s clean and clear of clutter. Also, open the blinds and let some light in.
Hire a professional photographer
The first thing potential buyers see in a listing is the property pictures. Crisp images with great lighting can mean the difference between a buyer putting your property on their shortlist or moving on to the next listing.
Unfortunately, many FSBO’s skip on this, which is a huge mistake. Hiring a pro to take your photos is inexpensive and Homepie has made it easy to find real-estate photographers in your area.
Make repairs before you sell
You can set a higher price and find buyers who are willing to pay the extra if you sell your house in the best condition possible. If you have damages that need repairs, fix them. Just be mindful of how much you spend on repairs, especially if you are considering redoing your kitchen and bathrooms. You wouldn’t want to invest more money into the house than you can recoup in the sale.
List your home on leading websites
Most buyers look for houses online, and platforms like Zillow and Trulia are crucial for visibility. You’ll need to carve out some time to create your listing page on multiple sites and be sure to include a short description that highlights the best-selling features of your home. Here’s a very important tip: Be sure to reference your Homepie listing page in these description sections so that interested buyers visit homepie.com to make an offer or contact you directly.
If you want to save time and have your home appear on over 100 real estate sites, Homepie gives you the option to list your home on the MLS. That way you can simply create one listing and manage your sale from one place!
Get a yard sign
This is another crucial part of selling a home that many For Sale By Owner’s skip. Signs can drive a ton of traffic to your home. They let your neighbors know you’re selling, as well as any potential buyers driving through the area. Not only that, but the more people know you’re selling, the easier word of mouth can spread to interested buyers. Ordering a professional FSBO yard sign is easy – don’t skip this!
Get a lockbox
Real-estate agents use lockboxes to show their clients’ homes. Using one will help you show your home professionally, and it also provides you the ability to allow someone to tour your property while you’re at work. You can either rent or purchase a smart lockbox from Homepie, which will also help you schedule tours with prospective buyers.
Use Homepie’s offer and negotiation tools
As we already mentioned, wherever you list your home, be sure to include a link to your property on homepie.com. This makes it easy for buyers to chat directly with you, schedule a tour, and submit an offer. Both you and the buyer are walked through each step of the negotiation process, so neither party gets caught up in the complications. If you need help at any point, the live chat is always available.
For Sale by Owner contract
Homepie’s e-contract makes FSBO easy, without the need to spend so much time searching for, downloading, and printing the right legal forms and documents. All agreed-upon terms are automatically imported into the Purchase Agreement, so all you need to do is e-sign. The best part? It’s completely free to use.
Let Homepie take you all the way to close
After the offer has been accepted, Homepie offers dedicated transaction support to help you close your sale. If agents always use transaction coordinators, why shouldn’t you? You can rest assured knowing that you don’t have to manage every little thing to do with the sale. No need to worry about missing deadlines or things slipping through the cracks. It’s totally worth it for the peace of mind.
Homepie has all the tools you need to learn how to sell your home by owner. It’s the first free marketplace for homebuyers & sellers, and with homepie, selling your own home has never been easier. Sign up for a free account or list your home for free today.
