A New England FSBO: A Good Idea?

There are three main challenges that New England real estate sellers face when trying to manage the sale of their property on their own:effective marketing/advertising, time constraints and industry knowledge.  If you've attempted to sell your home "for sale by owner" (FSBO), but haven't met with success, this article may help you understand why.

First of all, nearly ninety percent of all New England real estate sold today are first seen online by their future owners.  Ninety percent!  The Internet boom has dramatically changed the way the real estate industry markets and advertises property.  Now, most buyers begin the search for their new home from the comfort of home, using the Internet to virtually tour a house before stepping foot on the property.  Typically, most FSBO homes aren't displayed on custom-built websites or linked to the highly trafficked listing networks powered by most real estate agencies.  As a result, they miss out on the most widely utilized research tool of buyers. 

In addition, self-sellers of homes tend to lead busy lives with work and family responsibilities taking up the bulk of their resources.  By the end of the day, there's little time left for fishing for buyers or setting up showings.  Plus, there's a lot of research that goes into understanding every aspect of sale process.  You need to be knowledgeable not only about New England and Bay State real estate market trends, but also the legalities of such a large financial transaction.

Ultimately, in the end, many New England and Massachusetts FSBO homes usually wind up on a Realtor's listing. 

With all of the challenges sellers face, this makes sense.  In combination with mailings, print ads, word-of-mouth and high-tech virtual marketing, Realtors can generate the kind of buzz for your property that will help you get your asking price.  A Realtor can give your home sale the attention it deserves.  After all, that's their full-time job: to sell real estate.  They have the availability to set up showings and meet with potential buyers.  Moreover, they have the New England real estate industry know-how and negotiation skills to deliver the best deal for your property sale.