What To Do When Selling On Your Own

The thought of selling your property can seem a little overwhelming. It’s a good idea to make a list of all the things you’ll need to do to get your property sold. This will keep you organized and prepared each step of the way! Our previous article detailed what you’ll need to do to prepare your house for sale. What do you do once it’s ready?

First of all, decide whether or not you want to sell on your own or go to a professional Real Estate Agent for help in marketing your property. If you’re thinking about going to a Real Estate Agent, you may want to ask them a few questions to decide if they’re the right Agent for you, such as: “What makes you special as an agent?”, “Who are the buyers for this house and how do you plan on reaching them?”, “What can I do to help sell for the most money possible?”, “How can I be sure that I’ll be happy with your services?”, “How does my house compare to the competition?”, “How will you maximize the net proceeds that I will receive from the sale?”, “Are you willing to do a CMA (Market Analysis), and provide me with a copy of it, listing the adjustments made?”, and “Can I cancel if not satisfied and list with another agent without obligation to you?”. Be sure that what is agreed on is put in writing in the Listing Contract!

Even if you decide to have a licensed Real Estate Agent represent you, it’s still good to have a general idea of what you feel your asking price should be. Make a study of other comparable properties on the market or that have recently sold. What do they have to offer that your property doesn’t? What does your property have to offer that they don’t? Make the necessary adjustments and come up with a price that you feel reflects the current market and what your home is worth.

Since some of you may wish to sell without the help of a Real Estate Agent, what should you do next?

Now that your home is ready for sale and you’ve decided on a price, it’s time for people to know about it! You’ll need to get out there and advertise. Be sure to count the cost and have a budget for advertising expenses, deciding how much to advertise and how often!

According to a 2009 Survey by the National Association of Realtors, 90% of Buyers use the internet in searching for a home. So with the majority of consumers relying on the internet, it’s a good idea to advertise your property for sale online.

The same Survey showed that 40% of consumers rely on print or newspaper ads in looking for Real Estate. That being the case, you still would want to advertise what you could in your local newspaper, special home journals, and magazines.

When doing so, instruct the Buyers to go to FreeRealtyOnline.com or a simular real estate site to view your home. Keep in mind though, that since less and less results come from printed ads (the NAR Survey showed that while 40% look at printed ads, only 2% found their home through the newspaper and less than 1% from a magazine or home book), you will want to find a good balance. The Survey also explained that 59% of Buyers search by yard signs. Therefore, of course, you’d want to have an attractive and professional sign displayed in your yard advertising that your home is for sale.