Get the Best Deal by Selling Your Home With a REALTOR®

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It’s easy to understand why a seller may be inclined to try a For Sale By Owner (FSBO). Home values have slid, making the prospect of saving the commission seem more attractive. FSBO sites online are easy to find and uploading a picture or two is common knowledge these days. But without really understanding the local market data, like median home values and neighborhood trends, how would a seller know if they were getting a good deal or just something that looks like one?

Christina Buffa crunches some numbers and explains why a FSBO may be the first step in getting a bad deal:

“I respect that with everything that is going on in today’s market, it might seem a little better to put your home up for sale, save the 6 percent and go it alone. Well, I don’t know that I agree…and maybe after reading this you will see the truth about local FSBO companies that claim to help you sell your home for less money, and look to a true professional to help you sell your home. Recent statistics from the National Association of REALTORS® 2008 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers Reports show that the median selling price as a percentage of the asking price was 97 percent for FSBO, and for agent-assisted sales was 96 percent. Wow! At first look that sounds fantastic, FSBO got more for their home than the agent assisted sales. Not so fast my friends, look closer…The median selling price on FSBO Home was $150,100 and the median sales price of agent assisted was $211,000.”

Buffa throws a wrench in the FSBO argument by pointing out that the seller isn’t saving money by selling themselves. However, even if there were savings associated with a FSBO, it would not be worth navigating this market alone. Using an experienced REALTOR® will not only improve your chances of getting the price you want, but it will also guarantee that your interests are represented by a professional during the transaction.

Click through to read the rest of Christina Buffa’s blog.

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