6 Crucial Strategies for Selling Your Home Without a Realtor

Real estate agents can be expensive. If you’re committed and willing to work diligently, you can sell your home for the same price without the use of a real estate agent. Your lack of experience and ready-made marketing tools can be overcome with research and commitment.

Sell your home without a realtor and put more money in your pocket with these strategies:

1. Understand the process. Real estate laws, including mandatory seller disclosures, vary from state to state. Just as important, real estate transaction practices are also specific to location. In some areas, it’s common to price homes primarily on square footage. In some states, it’s common to use an attorney during a real estate transaction.

• Bring yourself up to date with your state’s real estate laws and local customs.

2. Sell your home at the best time if possible. Several studies have shown that the best time to list a home is just after the Super Bowl. Even so, if your home would appeal most to a family, it can be more challenging to find a buyer in the middle of the school year.

• Consider the climate. It’s tougher to sell a home when two feet of snow covers the ground and the temperature is below zero.

3. Declutter and depersonalize. Clean everything thoroughly and make your home look as nice as possible. This includes getting everything up off the floor and putting it in its proper place. Assume that prospective buyers will look in the closets, because they do.

• The key is to enable prospective buyers to imagine themselves in your home. Take down the family pictures and religious decorations. You might love your orange living room, but most buyers would prefer neutral colors.

4. Determine an accurate price. In some areas, this will be much easier than in others. Some states require the recording of home sales prices and make the information public. This isn’t true everywhere. Attempt to find similar homes in your neighborhood that have sold recently. Depending on condition, it’s a safe bet that your home will sell for a similar amount.

• A local appraiser can provide an accurate number. This option usually costs several hundred dollars.
• A local real estate agent could do the same, but many agents will quote a high number in hopes of gaining your business.

5. Market your home. This is perhaps the most important step to sell your home quickly for a fair price. There are many ways to advertise that your home is for sale. Consider utilizing all of them!

• Make good use of the internet. Take full advantage of your Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest accounts.
• There are also many websites dedicated to real estate sales. You can list your home for a small fee and make sure potential buyers can find your home.
• Speak with friends, family, and neighbors. You never know who’s looking for a new home. You might get a few leads.
• Craigslist is another free option and widely used.
• Put a “For Sale” sign in your yard and some signs around the neighborhood, if possible.

6. Negotiate the price. Negotiating can be the best money you ever make. Just a few minutes of your time can result in receiving a price that’s $10,000 higher. Be confident in the price you’ve set for your home. Negotiation skills can be learned. Take the time to educate yourself before putting your house up for sale.

It isn’t necessary to use a realtor to sell your home. Provided you do the necessary work, you can avoid the use of a realtor and receive more money at closing. Be certain you have the time available to devote to selling your home on your own. Good luck!