The current real estate market favors sellers and some homeowners might be thinking of selling their homes on their own which is also known as a For Sale By Owner (FSBO). They think that by going that route, they’ll be saving money by not having to get the services of a real estate agent.

Collateral Analytics made a study and found out that FSBOs don’t actually save any money and in some cases, it has cost them more by not getting the services of a real estate agent and having it listed with them.

In the study, they analyzed home sales in a variety of markets. The data showed that:

“FSBOs tend to sell for lower prices than comparable home sales, and in many cases below the average differential represented by the prevailing commission rate.”

Why would FSBOs net less money than if they had used an agent?

The study makes several suggestions:

  • “There could be systematic bias on the buyer side as well. FSBO sales might attract more strategic buyers than MLS sales, particularly buyers who rationalize lower-priced bids with the logic that the seller is “saving” a traditional commission. Such buyers might specifically search for and target sellers who are not getting representational assistance from agents.” In other words, ‘bargain lookers’ might shop FSBOs more often.
  • “Experienced agents are experts at ‘staging’ homes for sale” which could bring more money for the home.
  • “Properties listed with a broker that is a member of the local MLS will be listed online with all other participating broker websites, marketing the home to a much larger buyer population. And those MLS properties generally offer compensation to agents who represent buyers, incentivizing them to show and sell the property and again potentially enlarging the buyer pool.” If more buyers see a home, the greater the chances are that there could be a bidding war for the property.

In conclusion:

  1. They achieve lower prices when they go FSBO than similar homes that are sold by realtors who use the MLS,
  2. The data suggests the average price was near 6% lower for FSBO sales of similar properties.

America’s trusted voice on money, Dave Ramsey explains:

“Research has shown that, between mistakes, lack of negotiating skills, pricing errors and general exposure on the market, you’ll cost yourself more than the real estate commission…You’ll come out slightly better and with a lot less hassle if you use a top-shelf agent.”

 

Meet with a realtor like Pete Veres, CRS – Certified Residential Specialist, SRS – Senior Real Estate Specialist who can help you get your home sold. He can provide you with a Free Market analysis when you are ready. Pete Veres has had over 25 years of Sales & Marketing experience and excellent negotiating skills.

You can contact him by calling 505-362-2005 or by emailing him at [email protected].

Here are also some Free Sellers resources. VIP-Seller-Resources