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Is FSBO the Way to Go When Selling Your Portland Oregon Real Estate?

by | Jan 23, 2013 | Seller Tips

Is FSBO the Way to Go When Selling Your Portland Oregon Real Estate?

Considering selling a home ‘by owner’ has been a fairly consistent desire in the Portland Oregon real estate market over the past few decades. Everyone wants to save a buck and some think they can save a lot of money by selling their homes by themselves.  But would you really save money by doing it yourself?

To start off with it should be said that there are indeed people who can sell their homes for sale by owner (FSBO), and even save a few dollars doing it. Those are the people who have five important skills:

  1. They know how to market and advertise their Portland Oregon real estate both online and offline without spending a fortune.
  2. They are excellent sales people.
  3. They know how to pre-qualify buyers to be sure they’re actually able to afford the home.
  4. They’re great at negotiating.
  5. They know how to execute real estate contracts and all the other associated legal work necessary to sell a home.  My attorney cringes at the thought most realtors executing legal contracts, much less a homeowner.

Additionally, they need to have plenty of time to:

  • Market and advertise their home.  A lot of time can be spent writing ads, creating flyers, taking photos, and loading everything to a wide variety of real estate websites.
  • Show their home to potential buyers at times that are best for the buyer. Which means taking time off of work.
  • Negotiate with buyers.
  • Execute the real estate contract.

If you do not have those five skills or the extra time needed to perform all the necessary tasks, selling your Portland Oregon real estate by owner probably isn’t a good idea for you.

Instead, you can hire a real estate agent to do it all for you.  A professional real estate agent is more than just someone who puts their name on a sign on your front lawn.

  • They are the person who is your first line of defense when it comes to dealing with buyers. They know how to be sure the person coming to look at your house really has the qualifications to actually make a purchase, not just some Sunday shopper.
  • They also have the marketing know-how and the advertising power of a real estate company behind them.
  • They have vast connections and relationships with professionals such as home inspectors, title offices and mortgage companies.  They work with these people many times a month year in and year out.
  • They’re skilled negotiators.
  • They understand what legal work has to be done and how to keep it on track.

Obviously, a professional real estate agent saves you time, but they also save you money.  Statistics show that homes sell for more money when sold by an agent, especially in today’s real estate market.  How can that be?  People who buy a FSBO know you’re saving money on commission and expect you to pass those savings on to them.

If you’d like more information on how a real estate agent can help save you time and money by selling your home, contact us.

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