Using the average realtor that sells 3 homes a year, we can do a face off against an FSBO seller. Here are the arguments of comparison:
Can Realtors really put a more accurated home value than an FSBO seller?
Realtors
Realtors have available resources. A part of their work is to know recent home sales and know available homes in the market. With this knowledge, they can accurately predict how much and how fast a home could sell.
Seller of a Home For Sale By Owner
FSBO sellers used to base their home’s value by gut feeling. They used to be inaccurate by basing on the current price of homes in the market. But with the availability of $16.95 resources online, FSBO sellers even out the competition. With the same information a realtor have they can sell as accurately as the realtors.
Who wins? No one for it is a TIE
Do Realtors negotiate than an FSBO seller?
Realtors
Their plus in this category is experience. Negotiations take into account pricing, repairs, time and other small details usually overlooked by inexperienced FSBO sellers. Realtors have an unbiased point of view of the property so they can see which repairs are to be shouldered, which are to be settled with money and which should be skipped.
FSBO Seller
Let us admit, it is hard to compete with experience. But if FSBO sellers weight their options carefully, they can get a great deal too.
Who wins? The Realtors.
Can Realtors sell a home at a higher price?
Realtors
The National Association of Realtors says that realtors can sell homes 16% more than for sale by owner sellers. This may be due to their accurate pricing which they got from their data resources.
Sellers of FSBO
As mentioned, accurate pricing is the key to better valuing of a home for sale. Aren’t the resources available to the FSBO sellers too?
Who wins? No one. It is a TIE again
Can Realtors sell properties faster?
Realtors
With their accurate pricing, greater marketing and house marketing, they may appear to take this lead. Their main marketing avenue, MLS, feeds listings to the top real estate in the world, realtor.com. MLS is only accessible to realtors.
FSBO sellers
There are for sale by owner websites too. These sites syndicate listings to different real estate ad sites. Then with around $299 to $499, a realtor can list an FSBO on the local MLS and realtor.com on a flat-fee deal. The seller must just be prepared to pay the buyer’s agent with 2-3 percent commission.
Who wins? A TIE if the FSBO does not utilize MLS. FSBO seller if with flat-fee MLS.
Conclusion
With the availability of necessary resources through the World Wide Web, FSBO sellers can compete with realtors in terms of selling their own home quickly at a reasonable price. Realtors are for those who can spare dollars to sell their home without stressing themselves. But for those who can not afford a realtor, the internet can help them learn the necessities of real estate and earn much from their old home.