The best way to increase the amount of money you make from the sell of your home is to sell it without using a real estate agent. This will mean more work on your part, but it gives you the chance to keep the proceeds entirely for yourself.
When you are selling your home without a real estate agent, the first thing you need to do to sell your home is price it correctly. Too often, homeowners have unrealistic expectations about how much their home is worth. A real estate agent would let you know that homes are not guaranteed to appreciate. Just because you purchased your home five years ago at $200,000 does not mean you can automatically sell it today for $225,000.
Many homeowners who attempt to sell their own homes do not realize that it is not themselves who sets the price of their home. The market and the buyers set the home price. You can attempt to sell your home at a price other than what is dictated by the market, but it will not sell. You might have to reduce your home price several times before you receive any offers. At this point in time, you might even consider using a real estate agent. Setting your price right the first time, it the best way to make sure your home sells when you are not using a real estate agent.
Before you list your home, you should do as much work as possible to the outside of the home to make sure it is aesthetically pleasing. The outside of your home is the first impression that buyers will have. If the outside doesn’t win them over, they will not have their real estate agents ask for a showing. Take a look at the outside of your home from the perspective of a buyer. If you were a buyer what things would not impress you about the outside of the home? These are the things you should focus on improving.
The photograph of your home is another important aspect of selling it. You should take the picture on a sunny day with clear skies. Do not take the picture with a vehicle in the background as some real estate agents continue to do. This is an unnecessary distraction from the home, which is what you are really trying to sell. It doesn’t matter what kind of car you have, buyers will make assumptions about the home based on the vehicle in the picture. Take several shots so you have some to choose from. Keep copies of the photographs in the case that you choose to use a real estate agent.
When you sell your home without a real estate agent the work of advertising your home is entirely up to you. There are many different ways you can get the word out about your home for sale. The easiest way to advertise your home is by placing a for sale sign in your yard. Even if you live in a high traffic area, this shouldn’t be the only method you use to advertise your home. Listing your home in the local newspaper and real estate magazine are other methods you can use. Since the internet is increasing in popularity for buyers, especially first-timers, listing your home on a for sale by owner website will increase exposure of your home.
Once you list your home, be prepared to receive several phone calls a day with inquiries for your home. If you do not have an answering machine or voice mail service, you should get one or the other. Remember that even though you are not using a real estate agent, you will still have to work with the buyer’s real estate agent.
