Can I Sell My House Without An Agent? YES, YOU CAN!!! But Should You???
If you’re looking to sell a house and wondering if and how you can sell your house without using an agent, you’ve come to the right place! My goal is to provide you honest, straightforward strategies for ditching the agent and selling your house yourself. Make sure you read through to the bottom as I’ll be detailing our two best tips for maximizing offers and your profit!
Most people that I talk to feel intimidated about the process of selling a house themselves – they need to know how to get the property listed on the MLS, how will they handle showings, offers, agreements, inspections, appraisals and the legal aspect of the closing documents and arrangements. It may sound overwhelming, but I would venture to say that choosing a paint colors for your powder room may pose more of a challenge than selling your own house.
First things first – how do you get your house listed on the MLS without an agent?
You want your house listing to be seen by as many house hunters and realtors as possible. You want it on the multiple listing service or MLS. A simple google search for ‘how to list my house on the mls without an agent’ will provide you a multitude of flat listing services to choose from. Check reviews and do your homework, but some services will list your house for as little as $99.
How do I schedule and manage showings? Hint….you don’t!
You can get creative with this, but we’ve always had the most success by scheduling a two day back-to-back Saturday and Sunday open house and notifying potential buyers that offers will be reviewed Wednesday evening, with highest and best offer being accepted. All offers must be accompanied by proof of funds.
Reviewing and Choosing an Offer?
Take time to review the offers, looking carefully at offer price, closing date, any contingencies, etc. Don’t be afraid to enlist the help of a real estate attorney to review your top offers to make sure the details are in line with your wishes and that your best interests are protected.
The Details & The Legal Stuff!
Keep that real estate attorney or a good title company (depending on your state) on speed dial as you’ll be enlisting their services to prepare the closing documents. These are the folks that will also be facilitating the actual closing! Depending on where you live, these services will cost you about $2,000.
How To Keep Those Offers Competitive!
Don’t ever underestimate the psychology of pricing! Do your homework to understand the comps in your area and price your house slightly under market to drive interested buyers to your showing. If you’re planning on having an open house, the visible competition coming and going will help insure that you are receiving only serious and competitive offers. Because you’re setting a hard timeline to review the offers and will be choosing highest and best, buyers will automatically come to you with their best offer. The Spring 2021 market is an ideal time to use these strategies.
What if your house is in….ahem…..bad condition?
Even if you have a major fixer upper on your hands– leaky roof, soggy basement, radon issues, mold or a grandma special – you have options! Professional home buyers like Property Buyer Today will buy these properties regardless of condition and for cash, without the hassle of inspections, appraisals or bank approval. Because professional home buyers are looking to rehab homes, the worse the condition, the more they love them. Most reputable home buyers use a transparent formula based on neighborhood comparables, the after repair value and the actual cost of the updating and repairs. If you have a house that you would like to sell without a realtor, but that might not be popular with a typical home buyer – don’t be afraid to get some free, no-obligation offers from reputable home buyers.
When should you list with an Agent!
For many sellers, a listing agent does provide a valuable service and are worth every penny. You may want to consider listing with an agent if: you have 60 to 90 days to navigate that process. You want/need to heavily lean on an expert to guide you through the process. Your time is more valuable then learning the simple steps needed to figure it out on your own.
When should you consider selling to a professional home buyer?
You have a home that may be more challenging to sell on the mls.
You want a predictable process and timeline.
You want a buyer, not someone who is going to just market your property hoping to find one.
You want to take what you want, and leave the rest.
You don’t want to go through multiple rounds of negotiations, delays with banks and appraisals.