Comments on: My experience with selling my home by owner

By: Pamela St. Peter

Pamela St. Peter — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:07:27 +0000

Hi Matt, just read both your posts. I too was interested in your process. As a REALTOR® I am biased of course, but after a decade in the business I can tell you that hiring an experienced agent to get your home sold will net you more than selling on your own. Time and again I see 1st hand, FSBO’s selling well below their asking price, and really below market. A good REALTOR® works hard to attract serious buyers and with experience facilitating contracts negotiates far better than most owners. I sure hope your renting experience goes well for you. All the best.

By: Matthew Smith » Blog Archive » Becoming a landlord…

Matthew Smith » Blog Archive » Becoming a landlord… — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:37:05 +0000

[...] is a follow-up post to one I wrote a month ago about selling my home by owner. The outcome of the prior is now pretty obvious: I was completely unsuccessful at selling my [...]

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:08:25 +0000

@Nick At my current list price, I would take a loss one way or the other (without considering tax benefits). If I have a realtor, that loss would be increased by 3%…between $4000 and $5000.

By: Nick

Nick — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:42:05 +0000

I’m wondering how much of a loss you are willing to take on this condo. Does getting a realtor virtually guarantee you’ll be walking away losing money? Or are you going to think about renting it out for awhile and let the economy recover?

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:01:18 +0000

@Jacob I did take a real estate class as part of my MBA. The instructor said that (at least in MO), you do not need a license to represent yourself in a real estate transaction. And, that unless you plan to pursue it as a career, you probably don’t need a license. But, I could definitely be missing something.

By: Jacob

Jacob — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 13:52:24 +0000

If you list it in newspaper, add a blurb about open house! Every Sunday 2-4. Be ready we balloons, water and a smile. Also, you ever think about getting your realtor license? 400 bucks and an hour of studying could save you thousands!

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:29:48 +0000

@Eric Agreed. In a good market, I think I would have just hired a real estate agent and foregone all the trouble. But that 3% is tough to swallow when it is coming out of the equity in your house.

By: Eric

Eric — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:15:24 +0000

I thought you were crazy when you told me you were selling it yourself. Based on the 1 house I bought, I remember just hitting an area and seeing signs or even door keys in the area (after my scheduled visits) so my agent would call the other agent to setup an appointment immediately. That is how I found my place. We visited one unit in my building and saw three other units that we did not know about. Plus, I did most of my viewings during the week (not sure if I even looked at a place on the weekend) and we were looking at houses that people lived in but were at work so basically going through their lived-in house (some clean and some not). You could get lucky and sell your house and save that 3% but your chances are greater in a good market which is not the case. Personally, I don’t think the 3% in worth the time and trouble so I think I would go through an agent. Good post though as I liked seeing your thought pattern and experience so far.