Where to Advertise a FSBO? The FSBO Online Resource List

October 9, 2012 By 4 Comments

Real estate agents deliver tremendous value to home sellers and home buyers. I have a belief in the importance of my work and it seems my clients agree. Yet, some homeowners want to venture into the world of For-Sale-By-Owners. In another post of tips for FSBO’s, I’ve shared some key elements for success.

In this post I’ve compiled a list of online resources for FSBO’s. Choose to work with those that best suit your property and budget.

  1. For Sale By Owner.com This is the most well known website for FSBO’s, with a 14 day free trial. You can post up to 6 photos, print flyers, write a description of the home. Once you are a paying customer, your home can be advertised on Realtor.com and MLS.
  2. Owners.com. Lot’s of online resources, high satisfaction rating, and a connection with Realtor.com and MLS.
  3. Craig’s List. Post for free, but ensure you do not post your ad more than once a week. Be aware that you will likely receive inquiries from bargain hunters.
  4. All The Listings.com. Post your ad for free, claimed to be search-engine friendly. You have premium membership options.
  5. FSBOads.com. Free advertising until the closing date.
  6. Miadomo.com. Claiming worldwide exposure for you ad, a free listing allows for 12 pictures, and $2 more if you want to be a “featured” listing.
  7. Virtual FSBO.com. Offering flat fee MLS, and syndication to Google Real Estate and other FSBO websites.
  8. Caagal.com. Free advertising for your property, wherever it is!
  9. Backpage.com. This website will remind you of what Craig’s List used to be. Clean, simple, great place to find anything.
  10. And one more resource. If you are selling your real estate in the Boston area, I’ll happily write a blog post about your home and promote it through my distribution channels. Write me directly if you are interested.

Be aware when you search for where to post your advertisement for your home, some websites are a lead generation resource for Realtors. This is not necessarily bad, but it is unlikely to fill your need for exposure for your home.

Good luck!

photo by: MïK
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FSBO Do’s and Don’t Introduction

June 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I don’t know why anyone wants to be a FSBO – for sale by owner. To me, selling your own property is like doing your own dental work, a bad idea. But let’s say you super-glued your chipped tooth and want another adventure. Here are the do’s and don’ts for a sale-by-owner if you want a shot of succeeding.

Do pay a commission to buyer’s agents. The buyer’s agent compensation is figured into the prices of professionally listed homes. Agents who will bring buyers probably have a contract for compensation, so you will pay it either way. It will either be part of the offer price, or your offer price will be lower by that amount. So expect to pay for a buyer’s agent.

Don’t assume you’ll sell to unrepresented buyers. Buyers don’t want to be unrepresented, partly because they don’t want to deal with you, dear home seller. First-time home buyers are especially savvy at interviewing and choosing their buyer’s agent. They also understand it is the best way to buy a home, at no added cost. Move-up buyers are usually also selling a property, and working with an agent on both the buy and sell.

Unrepresented buyers are usually in earlier stages of their home search and likely not ready to buy. They may come over to look at your home, maybe even love it and you may hit it off. That is a far cry from putting money on the table.

Do list on Multiple Listing Service. There are brokerages that will list your home on MLS for a nominal fee. You must do it for the chance of brokers and buyers finding you. This is the most important source of information for anyone in the real estate market.

Do have information packages ready for buyers. At the very least, provide town records information. Include pictures, a floor plan, and a list of improvements you’ve done in recent years. Off season photos are nice, too, and any interesting house history. Don’t forget the price, condo fees, and taxes!

Don’t hide information. Share what you know to be true, even defects you have chosen not to repair. You are liable for what you know about the house, and remember, inspection is coming anyway. Termite damage, roof leaks, water damage, wet basement…I’m a big fan of honesty and disclosure.

A great way to get some marketing ideas is to follow some of the area homes on the market, and go to open houses. Who knows, maybe you’ll do very well and find yourself in a new career. But if you get sick of it, or for some reason the home is not selling, give me a call and we’ll fix that.

Good luck!

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