How Do I Sell My House Without a Realtor in Florida?
We know selling your home without a Realtor can be a tempting way to avoid paying additional transaction fees — as the owner of the house, it’s easy to think you’re the best person for the job! However, there are several very smart reasons to list with a real estate professional who knows the market when preparing to make such a large sale. Those who choose to list apart from an agent should be willing to put in a lot of time and effort throughout the entire process, and understand they forgo a lot of expert real estate knowledge. Additionally, more often than not, FSBO (for sale by owner, pronounced “FIZZ-BO”) homes sell for a lower listing price than those who partner with a real estate professional.
However, if you are committed to listing as a for sale by owner, here are our top 5 tips to help you sell your home quickly, and hopefully at top-dollar.
Obtain the Necessary FSBO Documents and Legal Guidance for the State of Florida
While sellers might choose to decline the services of a real estate professional, it’s wise to enlist the help of a real estate attorney to avoid any problems with the law. With the detailed legalities being one of the more complicated aspects of a FSBO listing, legal counsel will make a world of a difference and probably help you sleep better at night.
A real estate attorney will provide legal counsel and prepare the necessary contracts to help the transaction run smoothly and quickly. Florida has its own real estate laws, so it’s crucial to ensure you’re in step with these and have all the necessary documents prepared. While there are many online resources that can help with this, consider enlisting the aid of a professional so you can rest assured you’re legally compliant. You don’t want to get sued at the end of the lengthy transaction!
Home Staging Tips and Necessary Repairs
Simply staging your home for buyers can have immense payoff. The goal is to help the potential buyer envision what their life might look like in the house, so it’s best to hide away any personal items that dissuade the buyer from picturing their own family in the home. Remove family photos, kid’s drawings, statement pieces, personal awards, etc.
Make sure your house is set up to highlight its best features! Declutter your countertops and clean up the yard of weeds or overgrown foliage – curb appeal can make or break a good sale. It’s best for buyers to see the home as a blank canvas for them to fill with their own memories and valuables.
If you’ve lived with a leaky faucet or some badly cracked tile in the house, it’s best to fix these things before inviting buyers into your home. Rain damage is a concern in Florida’s climate, so pay attention to leaky roofs or windows because Florida home buyers are on the lookout for potential hazards like these.
Take Professional Photos of your House
Presenting buyers with beautiful photos of your home will determine how many people actually show up to an open house. The type of camera, the lenses used, and the angles of the photos taken will all determine how people feel about the house. If viewers don’t fall in love with your online listing, they’ll keep scrolling. If you’re taking the pictures on your own, do your best to think like a professional. Research other listings to determine which pictures are crucial to a strong listing and be sure to edit your final shots so they’re consistent and show the beauty of your property.
Price Your Home
Pricing your property is also one of the trickier steps in the FSBO process and can really harm the overall transaction. How do you price your home? If the seller sets the price too high, you risk nobody viewing your home and having to drop the price down the road. Dropping the price later leads buyers to be leery of a problem within the property – Why did nobody want this house in the first place? On the flip side, if the price is set too low, you lose out on a larger profit!
Using online resources to determine the current market value of your home will help you determine a good price range. You will need to compare your property to other similarly sized homes in your neighborhood. Once you’ve done that you can expand your comparison to homes slightly outside of your immediate neighborhood. Use reputable online sources to help you guide your decision, but be careful not to lean on too many FSBO sites that might not come with accurate information.
Market your Home
To get the best out of your transaction, you’ll want to reach people near and far! Once you have quality photos and a set price, the internet gives sellers a huge advantage with several great options for advertising. Considering using target ads on sites homebuyers are likely to browse. Perhaps doing a professional video walk through of your house would benefit your ads. Use FSBO websites that will allow you to publish your listing. Garner the power of your local network to put your listing in front of as many people as possible.
After some thorough research, you may even decide to use a Florida flat fee MLS (multiple listing site). What is an MLS? An MLS is a service you pay to have your property listed within a real estate database. Real estate agents use an MLS to help find the perfect home for their clients. A Florida flat fee MLS is one that requires a single fee for listings, but be aware not every company charges the same fees. An MLS has the power to reach a substantially larger population than you could on your own.
Selling Your Home For Sale by Owner is Possible
While it’s certainly not an easy task to land a fantastic deal when selling your own home, having a better understanding of the above tips will help equip sellers. A FSBO real estate listing is not for the faint of heart, but if you’re willing to put in the time and effort, there could be a substantial profit at the end of the process.
Supreme Title makes no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the matters addressed.
Please contact Supreme Title with questions you may have.
info@supremetitlellc.com or reach us by phone at: 321-725-0115