Several Misconceptions Exposed About For Sale By Owner Transactions

There are several misconceptions about a For Sale by Owner type of transaction in the real estate world. If you are attempting a FSBO, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s discuss some of the myths and facts about this popular method of selling your house. Hopefully, this will address some of the misconceptions and misinformation you have about the process. It can be a positive transaction for all the parties involved, when done correctly.

Myth #1: I have to know a lot about real estate in order to sell my house on my own. I should be licensed as a real estate agent or at least take some classes.

Truth: While it can be extremely helpful to know the laws about real estate in your area, you do not have to know it all. Many times you can hire an experience real estate lawyer for much less than the agent’s commission and you are legally covered. These lawyers can provide you with the necessary contracts so that the sale is legal and binding. You may benefit from real estate classes or some simple online training but you don’t have to be licensed to sell your own property. Legally, any owner can sell their property without having a real estate license.

Myth #2: I need to be great with people to sell my house.

Truth: You shouldn’t be scared of people. There are some people who have a natural aversion to people and would consider themselves a hermit. Most people, however, can talk to other human beings on a one-on-one basis. If you are nervous in crowds, you have the ability to limit showings to one person at a time. You never have to host an open house and you can ask to only speak with the actual buyer, not their entire family. If you work and interact with people on a daily basis, limited or not, you can perform the necessary talking that will sell your house.

Myth #3: I’ll make a larger profit when I do a FSBO.

Truth: While many sellers do report making a larger profit, many experience the benefit of simply not paying money out of their own pocket. In this current housing market, the competition is plentiful and you may need to lower the asking price to compete in the market. You have to be willing to compromise to have a successful sale. When you lower the price, you may not have the leftover money from the sale to pay an agent and concessions. A FSBO will let you skip that part and lower the price enough to sell but you may not make a substantial gain on the house.

Myth #4: People will call and stop by at all hours of the day and night.

Truth: You will get phone calls, emails, and even drive-bys. Don’t think of them as a nuisance, but rather as money in your pocket. These are potential buyers and the faster you can get them to buy, the sooner you can be done with the hassles. It may be a pain to have the showings and distribute the info, but in reality when you use an agent, they don’t clean for you, make the decisions for you, or even create a budget for you. Those are all items you will do on your own so why pay an agent to do that.

Myth #5: It will hurt my neighbors and area to have a FSBO instead of a "real" sale.

Fact: When a house sells, the price is recorded. Depending on where you live it can be public information. Regardless of how it sells, the information is recorded. Even if you sell your own house, your area will not be hurt by it. Would your neighborhood benefit from a new person moving in and buying the house or from the house sitting vacant with the ability for squatters and vandalism? You need to sell your house so why not do it while you are in control?

Taking control of your real estate situation means doing what is best for you and your situation. Don’t allow others to determine or intimidate you into a decision. Real estate gives you the ability to control the future and you can be in complete control of the transaction.