Tami Savage, Realtor

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When It Comes To Selling a House, Your Time Is Money [INFOGRAPHIC]

By Tami Savage

When it Comes to Selling a House, Your Time is Money. Selling a house is no small task. If you decide to try to do it on your own, keep in mind you'll be responsible for all the expert-level work of a real estate professional: Pricing Your House, Listing and Marketing Your house, Legal Documenation, Staging Decisions, Safely Arranging Open Houses and Showings, Negotiating with All Parties, Navigating Local Laws and Regulations. If you're ready to sell while the market is in your favor, let's connect to make sure you have the professional expertise you need every step of the way.

Some Highlights

  • Selling a house is no small task. If you decide to try to do it on your own, keep in mind you’ll be responsible for all the expert-level work of a real estate professional.
  • The vital tasks an agent manages for you include listing and marketing your house, handling legal documentation, negotiating with all parties, and navigating local laws and regulations.
  • If you’re ready to sell while the market is in your favor, let’s connect to make sure you have the professional expertise you need every step of the way.

Don’t Sell on Your Own Just Because It’s a Sellers’ Market

By Tami Savage

Don’t Sell on Your Own Just Because It’s a Sellers’ Market

In a sellers’ market, some homeowners might be tempted to try to sell their house on their own (known as For Sale By Owner, or FSBO) instead of working with a trusted real estate professional. When the inventory of homes for sale is as low as it is today, buyers are eager to snatch up virtually any house that comes to market. This makes it even more tempting to FSBO. As a result, some sellers think selling their house will be a breeze and see today’s market as an opportunity to FSBO. Let’s unpack why that’s a big mistake and may actually cost you more in the long run.

According to the Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers published by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 41% of homeowners who tried to sell their house as a FSBO did so to avoid paying a commission or fee. In reality, even in a sellers’ market, selling on your own likely means you’ll net a lower profit than when you sell with the help of an agent.

The NAR report explains:

“FSBOs typically sell for less than the selling price of other homes; FSBO homes sold at a median of $217,900 in 2020 (up from $200,000 in 2019), and still far lower than the median selling price of all homes at $242,300. Agent-assisted homes sold for a median of $295,000…Sellers who began as a FSBO, then ended up working with an agent, received 98 percent of the asking price, but had to reduce their price the most before arriving at a final listing price.”

When the seller knew the buyer, that amount was even lower, coming in at $176,700 (See graph below):

Typical Sale Price (FSBO vs Agent). All FSBOs is $217,900, FSBOs Where Seller KNEW the Buyer is $176,700, Homes Sold by Agent is $295,000. (Studies have shown that people are more likly to FSBO in markets with lower price points. Source: NAR

That’s a lot of money to risk losing when you FSBO – far more than what you’d save on commission or other fees. Despite the advantages sellers have in today’s market, it’s still crucial to have the support of an expert to guide you through the process. Real estate professionals are trained negotiators with a ton of housing market insights that average homeowners may never have. An agent’s expertise can alleviate much of the stress of selling your house and help you close the best possible deal when you do.

Bottom Line

If you’re ready to sell your house this year and you’re considering doing so on your own, be sure to think through that decision carefully. Odds are, you stand to gain the most by working with a knowledgeable and experienced real estate agent. Let’s connect to discuss how a trusted advisor can help you, especially in today’s market.

Reasons to Hire a Real Estate Professional [INFOGRAPHIC]

By Tami Savage

Reasons to Hire a Real Estate Professional. Contracts: We help with all disclosures and contracts necessary in today's heavily regulated environment. Experience: We are well-versed in real estate and experienced with the entire sales process. Negotiations: We act as a buffer in negotiations with all parties throughout the entire transaction. Education: We simply and effectively explain today's market conditions and decipher what they mean for you. Pricing: We help you understand today's real estate values when setting the price of a listing or making an offer to purchase.

Some Highlights

  • Choosing the right real estate professional to work with is one of the most important decisions you can make in your homebuying or selling process.
  • The right agent can explain current market conditions and break down exactly what they mean for you.
  • If you’re considering buying or selling a home this year, let’s connect so you can work with someone who has the experience to answer all of your questions about pricing, contracts, negotiations, and more.

Why Selling Your House on Your Own in 2021 Is a Mistake

By Tami Savage

Why Selling Your House on Your Own in 2021 Is a Mistake

There are many benefits to working with a real estate professional when selling your house. During challenging times, like what we face today, it becomes even more important to have an expert you trust to help guide you through the process. If you’re considering selling on your own, known in the industry as a For Sale By Owner (FSBO), it’s critical to consider the following items.

1. Your Safety Is a Priority

Your safety should always come first, and that’s more crucial than ever given the current health situation in our country. When you FSBO, it is incredibly difficult to control entry into your home. A real estate professional will have the proper protocols in place to protect not only your belongings but your health and well-being too. From regulating the number of people in your home at one time to ensuring proper sanitization during and after a showing, and even facilitating virtual tours, real estate professionals are equipped to follow the latest industry standards recommended by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) to help protect you and your potential buyers.

2. A Powerful Online Strategy Is a Must to Attract a Buyer

Recent studies from NAR have shown that, even before COVID-19, the first step 43% of all buyers took when looking for a home was to search online. Throughout the process, that number jumps to 97%. Today, those numbers have grown exponentially. Most real estate agents have developed a strong Internet and social media strategy to promote the sale of your house.

3. There Are Too Many Negotiations

Here are just a few of the people you’ll need to negotiate with if you decide to FSBO:

  • The buyer, who wants the best deal possible
  • The buyer’s agent, who solely represents the best interest of the buyer
  • The inspection company, which works for the buyer and will almost always find challenges with the house
  • The appraiser, if there is a question of value

As part of their training, agents are taught how to negotiate every aspect of the real estate transaction and how to mediate the emotions felt by buyers looking to make what is probably the largest purchase of their lives.

4. You Won’t Know if Your Purchaser Is Qualified for a Mortgage

Having a buyer who wants to purchase your house is the first step. Making sure they can afford to buy it is just as important. As a FSBO, it’s almost impossible to be involved in the mortgage process of your buyer. A real estate professional is trained to ask the appropriate questions and, in most cases, will be intimately aware of the progress being made toward a purchaser’s mortgage commitment. You need someone who’s working with lenders every day to guarantee your buyer makes it to the closing table.

5. FSBOing Is Becoming More Difficult from a Legal Standpoint

The documentation involved in the selling process is growing dramatically as more and more disclosures and regulations become mandatory. In an increasingly litigious society, the agent acts as a third-party to help the seller avoid legal jeopardy. This is one of the major reasons why the percentage of people FSBOing has dropped from 19% to 8% over the last 20+ years.

6. You Net More Money When Using an Agent

Many homeowners think they’ll save the real estate commission by selling on their own. Realize that the main reason buyers look at FSBOs is because they also believe they can save the real estate agent’s commission. The seller and buyer can’t both save on the commission.

A study by Collateral Analytics revealed that FSBOs don’t actually save anything by forgoing the help of an agent. In some cases, the seller may even net less money from the sale. The study found the difference in price between a FSBO and an agent-listed home was an average of 6%. One of the main reasons for the price difference is effective exposure:

“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.”

The more buyers that view a home, the greater the chance a bidding war will take place, potentially driving the price higher, too.

Bottom Line

Listing on your own leaves you to manage the entire transaction by yourself. Why do that when you can hire an agent and still net the same amount of money? Before you decide to take on the challenge of selling your house alone, let’s connect to discuss your options.

It Pays to Sell with a Real Estate Agent [INFOGRAPHIC]

By Tami Savage

It pays to sell with a real estate agent. Today, it's more important than ever to have an expert you trust to guide you as you sell your house. For Sale By Owner (FSBO) is the process of selling real estate without a broker or real estate agent representing you. Here's why selling as a FSBO is a big mistake. You're likely to net more money working with an agent. Houses sold with an agent net an average of 6% more than those sold on their own. Selling on your own can be difficult from a legal standpoint. Real estate agents act as a thirdd party to help you avoid legal jeopardy. This is one of the major reasons why FSBOing has ddroppedd from 19% to 8% over the past 20 years. Negotiating the ddeal is complex. Here's who you'll have to negotiate with if you try to sell your house on your own: Buyer, Buyer's agent, Home Inspector, Appraiser (if there's a question of value), Buyer's attorney, in some parts of the country (Escrow company in Florida), Your safety is a priority. When you sell on y our own, it's very hard to control entry into your home. Real estate professionals are experienced in keeping you safe with proper sanitization measures and COVID-19 guidance. They also use technology like virtual tours to limit access to your home. Selling your house on your own leaves you to manage the entire transaction by yourself. Before you decide to take on this challenge, let's connect to make sure you're safe and successful every step of the way. Sources: Collateral Analytics and NAR. Contact: Tami Savage 727-282-4390 or tami@tamisavage.com

Some Highlights

  • Today, it’s more important than ever to have an expert you trust to guide you as you sell your house.
  • From your safety throughout the process to the complexity of negotiating the deal, you need a professional on your side.
  • Before you decide to take on the challenge of selling your house on your own, let’s connect to discuss your options.

Let’s Connect

727-282-4390 (mobile)

 

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