We have already hit upon a few obvious reasons why you might want to list your Gainesville home with a Realtor® – the marketing and advertising advantages are obvious and real. And, if you believe statistics, Realtors® tend to get a higher dollar amount and can probably sell your home in less time since they have the ability to capture a larger buying audience.

But here are a few other reasons you may want to consider listing with a Realtor®.

Preparing your home for showing.

First impressions count! You want your home to stand out. Let me be perfectly frank. If your home is not nearly perfect (and you are unwilling to put a little time and energy into making it sparkle) and your price is not realistic, you might as well take it off the market now. Many Realtors® will assist their Sellers by pointing out areas that could use improvement – de-clutter, painting, fixing water leaks, de-clutter, shampoo carpeting, power washing the driveway, did I mention de-clutter?  These tips will help you get top dollar for your home. Remember, listing agents also represent Buyers. We know what Buyers want, so another set of eyes on your property can only enhance the overall product.

Weeding out the Poor Buyer Prospects.

Especially today, there are many tire-kickers or “shoppers” out there, not terribly interested in buying a property, but sometimes, given the right set of circumstances, looking to “steal” a property.

Then there are the Buyers in La La Land who have not qualified to purchase any property and need to be guided in the direction of a lender before even seeing your property.

There is yet another typical Buyer a FSBO encounters routinely – the lowball offerer. Today, many folks are lowball offerers, but it is particularly true for For Sale By Owner properties (in any marketplace). Why? Because the Buyer knows you are not paying a commission and wants to take advantage of that fact. Buyers who search through FSBO properties already assume they will get a good deal. And why did the FSBO decide to sell the house on their own to begin with?? That’s right, to SAVE the commission.

How can a Seller SAVE the commission and the Buyer get the low price based on no commissions paid at the same time??!!

Uh….you can’t, it’s that simple.

Following up with the Qualified Buyer Prospects.

Tell me – how do you think a seller is perceived by following up with a potential buyer vs. a Realtor® following up with a buyer? Let me tell you – the Seller is perceived as desperate while the real estate agent is perceived as professional. Amazing, isn’t it? And when a potential Buyer believes the Seller is desperate, a low offer is what usually follows.

Prices set by Realtors tend to be more respected by prospective Buyers.

All I am saying here is that everyone knows that Realtors® have access to sold properties, can provide CMA’s (Comparative Market Analyses), and are assumed to be objective in their home valuation. And most of us home owners, unfortunately, think that we have the most fabulous house on the block!

Ready to draw up a contract immediately.

Real estate agents can draw up a contract on the spot, know what needs to be completed on both sides of the transaction, and will follow up to ensure all parties stay in the contract (ie, meet all timeline requirements).

Keeping up with the competition.

Your Realtor® can provide you with accurate, up-to-date data that may affect the value of your property – data concerning the marketplace, competing properties in your area, etc.

Safety Issues

Realtors® meet with Buyers generally when the owner is not home. Sellers do not have to meet with or reveal their schedule to strangers. Enough said.

One more stat….one in five For Sale By Owners eventually enlist a Realtor® to get their homes sold. So…if you have a home for sale by owner in Gainesville, Florida today, give a Realtor® a call!

So, you still want to sell your home on your own?

Can I interest you in hiking boots?

Click here to read Homes For Sale By Owner in Gainesville, Florida – Part One and Homes For Sale By Owner in Gainesville, Florida – Part Two.