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For Sale By Owner: Selling a home on your own vs. with a trusted and licensed REALTOR®

THINGS TO CONSIDER

Selling a home on your own is possible, but unless you know exactly what you're doing it can be more trouble than it's worth. First, ask yourself why selling your home without a real estate agent's help appeals to you. Some common reasons are:

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  • Lack of trust in real estate professionals

  • Feelings of pride

  • Previous sales experience

  • Desire to save on the commission

  • Attachment to the home

  • Wanting full control over the process

I attempted a for-sale-by-owner once. I wish I'd had all the information I needed FIRST, so I could've made educated decisions.

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Selling on your own raises 3 important questions

  • How to PREPARE your home

  • How to properly PRICE your home

  • How to effectively MARKET your home to the right buyers

PREPARE IT

Selling is about appealing to buyers through visual presentation.

 

Step 1: Declutter

This helps your buyer visualize themselves in the space, without being distracted by all your belongings or piles of stuff. 

 

Step 2: Stage

This is very different from showcasing your personal style which may not appeal to prospective buyers.

professionally staged and photographed dining setting with view into attractive kitchen and spacious, decluttered living room
graph showing number of potential buyers who will view properties priced at, below, or above market value

PRICE IT

An in-depth market analysis – that includes comps, buyer trends, and more – is needed to accurately determine market value. You can't afford to get this wrong and  miss your target!

MARKET IT

Marketing requires strategic planning. To drive interest, receive multiple offers, and get the best possible price you need:

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  • Maximum exposure – on all available real estate websites and social media channels
     

  • Great photography that presents your home flatteringly and maximizes its best features
     

  • Well-written descriptions that answer buyer questions, satisfy any potential objections, and get them excited about living in your home

chart showing that most offers are received in the first three weeks of listing, and then drop off dramatically

THESE SELLERS TRIED FOR-SALE-BY-OWNER FIRST, THEN THEY HIRED ME!

Vermont map indicating properties originally listed as FSBO that got better, higher offers after enlisting Julie's help as a realtor
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All clients received a better offer, quicker

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70% of listings received multiple offers

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95% of clients received a higher net price working with Julie than on their own

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What support looked like for these sellers

before and after views of a staged, decluttered living room primed for showing to prospective buyers
5-star review for Julie Danaher's real estate servicees

I'm an older person and had the opinion that using a real estate agent would be a waste of money and would take away from our net gain on the sale of our house.  Julie completely changed my opinion of using real estate agents.  She was able to help us sell for much more than we would have settled for if selling by ourselves. 

 

She did all the staging and coordinated visibility among potential buyers that was way beyond what we could have achieved.  Even with paying real estate fees our net gain on the sale was considerably more than what we could have received by ourselves.  Julie is truly a professional and was absolutely wonderful to deal with through the entire process!  She has our highest recommendation as a motivated and competent real estate professional!

On their own: listed for 3 weeks, asking $600,000
With Julie: 7 offers, $675,000, no inspections!

FSBO vs Our Marketing Photos

owner vs professionally staged and shot interior views of a kitchen, living room and bathroom

On their own: listed for 3 weeks, no offers

With Julie: 2 offers and closed in 5 weeks!

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HOME STAGING

We stage your vacant home to elicit positive buyer emotions and bring rooms to life!

before and after views of a professionally staged space

BEFORE

dining and living spaces prior to decluttering and staging, as photographed for a FSBO listing

AFTER

with a few small upgrades, staging, professional photography, and Julie's help as a realtor, this property sold for $40K over asking price

We also suggest and assist with small improvements, such as:

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  • decluttering

  • painting

  • hardware replacement

  • flooring

  • lighting, and more

Still think FSBO might be right for you?

Let's chat about it in a FREE market opinion conversation.

You'll walk away with clarity and an understanding of what you'd like to do next, even if that means continuing on your own.

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