Selling Your Real Estate without a Real Estate Agent It is possible to sell your real estate without requiring the skills and expertise of a real estate agent. When you choose to sell your own property as an owner, you are assuming full responsibility of the entire promotion and advertising process along with all the needed paperwork to complete the sale of the home. However, it allows you the potential of saving at least 6% to 7% on the amount of commission not paid to the agent.
All a successful sale will require is your full attention to the condition of the property, and how to best effectively market it. Once you find a potential interested buyer that is willing to make an offer, you will need to use all of your skills to fill out the proper paper work that will protect your family’s interest while ensuring that you have a timely sale.
Preparing the Property
The first step in getting the property ready is to prepare it. This means cleaning up all areas inside and outside the home, and making any necessary repair or replacement. In addition, you will need to do anything possible to make your home more attractive to any potential buyer. This will make it far easier to sell, then simply selling an “as is.” Part of the preparation process includes de-cluttering the basement, the attic, and any room in the house to make it look as though it is ready for a new owner.
Pricing the Property
Be sure that you set the price of the property at a comparative price with your neighborhood. Take the time to search online, and through county court records to find comparable sales on properties in your neighborhood in the surrounding area. Public records typically show all the recent sales in the area and how much each home was sold for. Be sure that the real estate you evaluate is similar to yours, and has the same amenities and features.
Advertising
It is important to advertise or promote that you are selling your home. You can create your own online listing to detail your real estate on a variety of online websites. These include Craigslist, For Sale by Owner, and Zillow. Be sure to physically advertise your home for sale by placing a sign in front of your property, and along major streets in your area. In addition, you can consider placing a flyer box on the sign in your yard that gives detailed information on a flyer for any interested buyer. Be sure to include a full list of details and descriptions of your property including the price and the fact that you are not using a realtor.
Any potential buyer that shows interest needs to put a good-faith down payment earnest money on the property of $500 or more. Fill out all the necessary paperwork, and have both you and the potential buyer sign off on the agreement. They will likely require a home inspection that will need to be set up by you. Once finalized, all the paperwork can be taken to the escrow company for the closing.
