Home Seller
Are you thinking of selling your own home?
What are you really saving?
What about discount brokers?
Selling your home yourself requires an extensive commitment of time and effort to market your home, qualify buyers, negotiate well, and stay objective with potential buyers.
If you can do all that, read on:
Set your price by researching on the Internet, looking at other home prices in your area, and visiting the county tax records office to see what the homes actually sold for.
Make sure your home is in the best shape inside and out. You might want to invest in a few books and/or videos to support your efforts.
Set your advertising budget
Most people who sell their homes themselves spend between $1,000 and $2,000.
Run daily and Sunday ads in the real estate section of your local newspaper.
Send letters to every real estate office in a 20 mile radius.
Create a small website and list the web address on all materials about your home.
Create a color house flyer
The flyer should include good photos and necessary information about your home. Color increases visibility of the flyer and perceived value of your home. Display your flyer at work, in local supermarkets, and at other high visibility locations.
Put a prominent FOR SALE sign in the yard.
Yard signs can be between $150 and $250.
Follow up.
- Return all calls to interested buyers promptly.
- Make appointments to see them as quickly as possible. If they’re seeing your house, they’re also looking at others.
- Be available days, nights and weekends to show you house.
- Constantly monitor the market and be ready to adjust to the trends.
For your own safety and security, try to preapprove buyers before you invite them into your home. Ask questions over the phone, including:
- How will they pay for the home?
- Can they get a mortgage?
- Are they preapproved for a mortgage?
- Is their home sold or just on the market?
- Is the buyer of their home a qualified buyer?