Selling your home without the help of a REALTOR® is usually a gamble at best—while a handful of people may net a nice profit selling on their own, FSBO more commonly results in endless days on the market, no appreciable extra profit, and a REALTOR® eventually being brought in to sell the property. Trying FSBO during the summer can be an even worse experience than usual. Here are three reasons why.
1. Increased Competition
Summer is a popular sale season, since more people have time on their hands to devote to both selling and buying homes. Buyers have more free time to look at homes, and the long hours of sunlight mean more time to go to showings and tour neighborhoods. This seller and buyer-saturated market means you may see more competition when you sell your home—and even though your home is a great buy, you might not be prepared to market it fiercely enough. The professional marketing experience of a REALTOR® is crucial to getting your home sold fast to the right buyer.
2. It’s A Summer Job
If you’re considering FSBO during the summer months, keep in mind it’ll put a damper on any vacation plans or leisure time you might have. To sell your home effectively, you’ll have to be around for showings, offer negotiations, inspections, appraisals, and other important selling events. The average REALTOR® works about 50-60 hours a week. While selling your home won’t take that much effort, it’ll be close. FSBO is essentially like having a second job, and will take up valuable time you could spend relaxing on a beach somewhere while your real estate agent handles the most time-consuming aspects of your listing.
3. No Privacy
In addition to travelling, summer is a time when people spend more time at home—either chilling by the pool or hosting friends. However, when you FSBO during the summer, even your leisure time at home gets severely cut. You’ll have to always be up for showing your home when buyers want to see it, and arrange your schedule to meet theirs. It also means you’ll have to become tour guide in your own home, and try to maintain the perfect balance of professional aloofness without coming off like a pushy salesman. With a REALTOR®, showings will be conducted by the agent so you won’t have to worry about it, they’ll be more regularly scheduled, and the agent will know just what to say and do to make a buyer interested in your home.
Don’t put yourself through unnecessary stress and strain trying to go through the selling process alone, especially not during the summer when you should be out enjoying the sunshine!
It’s our job as REALTORS® to make sure the sale of your home is as stress-free as possible. Contact a Showcase team member to help you get the best profit for your property without the hassle!
To learn more about some of the pitfalls of selling your home yourself, check out our blog post “3 Reasons Why “For Sale By Owner” Isn’t a Great Idea”. Still not sure a REALTOR® is for you? Find out why we could be the perfect REALTORS® for you in our previous blog,“9 Signs You Should Have Gone With a Showcase REALTOR®.“
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