In the current real estate boom, most houses only remain on the market for around 38 days before a buyer snaps them up. Is that too long for your needs? Perhaps you want to finalize a sticky divorce, settle a tax lien, or get rid of an unwanted inheritance. If so, you’re probably wondering how to sell a house as fast as you possibly can. Selling a house without a realtor is one way to get around many of the obstacles and expenses involved in the home selling process.
Keep reading to find out what you stand to gain.
1. Selling a House Without a Realtor Saves Money
When you engage with a realtor, you’ll need to pay them for their services. Although realtor fees are currently at an all-time low, you’ll still lose thousands of dollars off the sale price of your home when you hire a realtor.
If you’re selling your home on your own, you can refuse to pay the commission for the buyer’s agent, since you haven’t signed an agreement with the agent. In this case, the buyer must pay the agent’s commission.
You’ll also need to pay a host of related costs, depending on where you live.
2. You Could Attract More Buyers
It’s difficult to stay neutral when attaching a value to your home, and many FSBO sellers price their homes too high. Yet, in a buyer’s market, with the corresponding price inflation, you can win by pricing your home a little lower than you’d like.
If you want to attract buyers faster, all you need to do is list your home a little cheaper than others in your area. You’ll still get the same amount as you would a few months ago, but you’ll probably attract more interest.
3. You Can Negotiate With the Buyer Yourself
You know your home better than anyone else does, so it makes sense that you get the final say in what it sells for. When you encounter a buyer who wants to offer you less than your asking price, it’s always better to handle the negotiations yourself.
You can justify your advertised price better than an agent can since you’re personally invested in the process.
You’ll need to keep your cool when going through this process, so try to think of any likely pain points beforehand and prepare your answers in advance.
4. Homes for Sale By Owner Don’t Need Expensive Repairs
When you engage the services of an agent to help sell your home, it’s their job to advise on any necessary repairs required to attract more buyers.
If you’ve inherited a home that’s in less than ideal condition, this process can result in many expenses that you simply can’t afford.
Fortunately, there are many people interested in flipping these types of homes, especially if they’re in a good neighborhood.
Without a realtor, you can entertain offers from these buyers and even accept an offer from investors who buy houses as-is for cash. You’ll save thousands in the process, and you don’t need to waste any time or money on repairs you won’t get to enjoy.
5. Avoid Staging Expenses
Open viewing days are a nightmare for homeowners. It’s expensive to hire a professional stager and a pain entertaining strangers all day long.
When you sell your home yourself, you choose how and when you want to show it to potential buyers.
6. Marketing Your Home Yourself
There’s no doubt that a realtor has many industry professionals and potential buyers at their disposal. Yet, you have more.
Only you can showcase the true essence of your home, and play up the highlights most effectively in your marketing efforts.
You also have access to a huge range of different people living in your neighborhood. These are all people who know the benefits of your home’s location.
Some of your friends might have had their eye on your property all along or know of other people wanting to move to the area. Many FSBO houses sell to friends of friends or buyers connected to them in some way.
It takes time to set up advertisements and write a description of your home, but there are many free online apps and resources to help you do just that, quickly and easily.
You don’t need a fancy camera to take great marketing photographs. A decent cell phone and a website with free design templates will do.
7. Extensive FSBO Resources
The long-awaited ‘new normal’ is upon us. This means after almost two years of trying things a new way, the world is a very different place.
Back in the day, you got in touch with a real estate agent who listed it on an MLS for everyone to see. That’s great, but it’s not the only way to advertise your home.
Nowadays, there are many websites dedicated to helping people sell their homes on their own. You can list your home on an FSBO MLS that’s available for all to see, including real estate agents from across the country.
In that regard, there’s no difference when it comes to gaining exposure for your home.
If you have any questions about anything to do with selling a home, there are also plenty of online resources offering free advice for DIY home sellers.
8. You Have Complete Control
Selling your home is an emotional time, and you’ll feel better about it when you get to control the process. You don’t need to go via a middle-man when you want to discuss something with a potential buyer.
That means you can get answers to questions quickly and first-hand. When you work with a realtor, you need to go via your realtor, who goes via the buyer’s realtor.
9. Selling a Home Without a Realtor Is Much Quicker Overall
Thanks to all the above factors, you can save a lot of time and money when you sell your home yourself.
You can opt for a quick sale to the person if you want to, or take your time waiting for a great buyer to come along. You won’t have a commission-hungry realtor breathing down your neck every step of the way.
If you start running out of time to sell your house, you still have the option to sell it to a cash buyer.
Sell Your Home the Easy Way
We don’t ask questions about why you want to sell your house in Dauphin, Cumberland, or York County, whether it’s due to divorce, tax liens, or inheriting a property you don’t want.
We’ll make you a cash offer as quick as a flash, and you’ll usually have your money within a few weeks. Get in touch now if you want to experience all the benefits of selling a house without a realtor, fast.
