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Are you a Seller considering trying to sell your home For Sale by Owner (FSBO)? A lot of sellers consider selling FSBO because they can avoid Realtor commissions, and hopefully have a higher profit at the end of the sale. A lot of Sellers think that it will be easy to sell FSBO but unfortunately do not understand all of the requirements of selling a home. There are a lot of statistics out there that show that selling with a real estate agent will make you more money, which will cover realtor fees, and give you more money at closing.

Sellers are not necessarily familiar with the market, and what the recent activity is in their neighborhood. They may end up pricing their homes too high, and not have much activity on their home. Some may price too low, and not realize that they have the potential of making much more money. Legal issues could arise during the sale, or after the fact. You may consider hiring a real estate attorney to help you with the sales contract. A real estate attorney will also cost money but they will not market your home. A realtor will market your home, along with going over the sales contract, and dealing with negotiations etc.

There are still people who sell FSBO and have been successful, but statistically the majority of people do prefer to work with an experienced licensed real estate agent. Whether you are considering FSBO or you have decided to hire an experienced realtor, there are several things to ask yourself. A good experienced Realtor will make a list of recommendations on items to address before officially listing your home. This will be beneficial to you, and most likely help with the sale of your home, if you follow the recommendations.

Some Exterior Considerations:

• Does the house have good curb appeal? This is very important! 
• Do you need to give the exterior of the home a fresh coat of paint? Is the paint chipped or faded in areas?
• Do any windows need replaced or fixed?
• How does your front and back yard look?
• How is the roof? Is it fairly new or in need of repair? What about the gutters? Have they been cleaned out lately?
• How is the soil to foundation contact? (A home inspector will most likely check this out)
• Is the siding in good shape?
• Are the pine needles or leaves raked up?
• Does the exterior of the property look clean, and well kept?
• Are trash/recycling cans hidden but out of the garage?
• Is the exterior of the home in overall good condition? 

Remember a prospective buyer will likely perform a drive by of the property. Most times they will drive by before even letting their real estate agent know that they are interested. Your homes curb appeal can be a huge factor on if they take the next step in scheduling a showing.

Some Interior Considerations:

• Is there paint, and finishes that need to be freshened up? What about the trim, if applicable? 
• Does the home look and feel well kept, and inviting to any prospective Buyer? 
• Have the appliances been updated, and do they all work?
• Have you updated the kitchen/bathrooms recently?
• Is the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC all in good working order?
• How is the flooring? Are the floors clean and in good shape?
• Any cracked tiles, ripped vinyl, holes/tears/stains in the carpet, scratches/stains in the wood flooring?
• How about the window coverings? Do they look nice, and let the light in?
• When were the windows, and tile floors last re sealed, and cleaned?
• Are all of the light fixtures/fans working? Do any light bulbs need replaced?
• Any cracked or missing outlet or light fixture covers?
• Are there any running toilets or leaking faucets/pipes?
• Are closets, cabinets, cupboards, and drawers clean inside, and well organized?
• How does your furniture look? Is it cluttered or does it flow well?
• Does the whole interior of the house feel clean and well kept?

Why Hire a Realtor to sell your home?

• Again, a Realtor will walk through your home (interior and exterior) prior to listing, and make the necessary recommendations on repairs, and staging, before you list your home. This will be very helpful to you, and save you time! Once any staging, and repairs are complete then I will have a professional come in to take the photographs. This is very important as most people will look at photos online before driving by and scheduling a showing.
• Realtors have access to up to date information on the market. They have access to all recent active, pending, and sold homes in your neighborhood. This information comes directly from the multiple listing service (MLS). I always study this information when recommending a price on any property. It is important to adjust the recommended price per sq ft for any upgrades, views, size etc that a recent sold property in your neighborhood may not of had. You may also need to adjust for the lack of upgrades depending on the subject property. If your home requires an appraisal as part of your sales contract, then the appraiser will most likely study similar information, and comparable homes to what the real estate agent has used for pricing your home. Very important not to overprice! Studies do show that pricing a home right to begin with will probably sell quicker, and for a higher price than those on the market for a longer period of time. A Realtor has the expertise, and resources to do this!
• If a prospective Buyer does not have a Realtor then your Realtor can show your home, and can respond to inquires from potential buyers, and their agents, and can get valuable feedback from showings. The feedback can be very helpful.These are all things that will save you a lot of time. Most Buyers do feel more comfortable looking at a home when the Seller is not home. They generally feel more comfortable exploring the home, and imagining where they can place their furniture etc. With any FSBO a Seller must be present. I always like to screen prospective Buyers to make sure that they can afford the home purchase, and that safety is not going to be a problem. It can be a huge waste of time showing your home, and getting it ready for any Buyer who is not realistic, or can not afford the potential purchase.
• Real Estate Agents have marketing expertise. If they are experienced they will know what will make the phone ring. They will place real estate signs and a lock box on the property.They will have a large database of other Real Estate Agents, and be able to spread the word to other agents, along with their database. In addition to a realtors marketing plan, their brokerage is also very important. My opinion is that it is good to pick a well known brokerage which is worldwide, and highly recognized in the industry. If a Buyer is new to town then they are probably more likely to visit the well known Real Estate companies like RE/MAX. I know that our RE/MAX sites get a lot of daily views, and our office has a lot of people call, and walk in from out of the area. Marketing can get expensive for a Seller who is doing a FSBO. If you hire a Realtor they will have the expertise, and skills to market your home in the correct ways. There are all of the internet sites to consider getting your home on, which can be expensive. Your Realtor will get your home listed on the MLS which will feed to multiple other important sites. Most buyers these days are shopping on the internet before they even contact a real estate agent. A big part of a realtors job is to make sure that your home is getting in front of these Buyers. I have an extensive marketing plan which includes open houses, print advertising, local advertising, and ways to advertise in other states, where you are reaching out of town Buyers in addition to a lot of online advertising, and target marketing etc.
• A Realtor will also help you to negotiate any offers that you get on your home. There will be lots to consider in the sales contract like price, inspection contingencies, other contingencies, financing terms, approval letter (if getting financing), closing date, possession date, and title and escrow company etc. Sellers Disclosures are also very important, and your realtor will get these to any potential buyer or buyers agent for you.  A qualified realtor will explain, and help you to understand all of this.Your Realtor will provide you with all of the necessary listing and sales paperwork, and make sure that you are in compliance with regulations.

There is a lot to consider while Selling your home! It can be very overwhelming if trying to do all of this on your own. I will help guide you through the process from start to finish. If you simply just have questions, or would like to hire me, then please contact me! Email or Phone is great. I look forward to hearing from you!

Thank you,
Selena McNeill
(541) 390-0595 
selenamcneill@yahoo.com
Licensed Broker in the State of Oregon since 2004.