E-mail Barbara Reed

 FOR SALE BY OWNERS AND EXPIREDS
FIND ANSWERS

There are few things in life more frustrating than trying to sell a home with no results. It happens, more often than you might think.

"EXPIREDS" (sellers whose home was listed with a real estate company but didn't sell during the listing period) are often the most disappointed. Routinely they need to get a home sold to relocate, often for job purposes. When a home doesn't sell, sellers are many times in the position of making dual house payments, and families are sometimes forced to 'stay-behind' until the property is sold. Barbara is particularly sensitive to people in this kind of situation. When dealing with an EXPIRED she begins with a simple but effective evaluation of the 'real reasons' the property didn't sell in the first place. By providing the sellers with an honest and candid evaluation, more times than not they find what the problem was to begin with, then they simply make the necessary corrections, and the property sells.

For Sale By Owners (FSBO) face a different set of challenges when it comes to selling their homes. The first challenge is finding buyers, especially considering that real estate agents and FSBO's compete for prospects from the same pool of buyers.

Nationwide approximately 13% of all sales are For Sale By Owner, according to studies. With real estate agents responsible for 87% of the market, For Sale By Owners often feel like buyers are few and far between. What's worse is that too often prospective buyers shopping the FSBO market have the same intention as the sellers do themselves, to save the commission, which makes for some seriously strained negotiations if a sale occurs.

Reed doesn't have a problem with people wanting to save a commission. In fact, she says "It may be the smart thing to do, but if you're serious about selling, and you need a buyer, you'll most likely need an agent."

"What most FSBO's fail to see is that a good agent can put as much money in the sellers pocket as the sellers can themselves," she continues, "and I do all the work."

When a FSBO calls, she sets an appointment to visit their home. She gives them a free Comprehensive Market Analysis, and explains what she feels is a fair price for the home, as well as provides them with an analysis of how much money they'll put in their pocket. A large percent of her business comes from For Sale By owners because Barbara has developed this unique soft-sell approach.

"So many times, after I talk with FSBO's, they understand that it's not the sales price that's the real issue, it's how much money they'll put in their pocket ... with or without a commission," she says.

Using a real estate agent may not always be necessary, and Barbara would be the first one to agree with that. Yet judging by the percentages, for sellers who are serious, using an agent may make the most sense. Her approach seems to be an intelligent way of determining whether or not you want to use an agent.

Reed Team | About RE/MAX | Featured Areas | Featured Listings | Get Your Home Sold
Special Offer | Testimonials | Recently Sold | Buyer/Seller Tips | Free Home Evaluation
Home Finder | Mortgage Calculator | Contact Barbara