Selling your house using an Agent in Sebring, FL can be a costly transaction. Real estate agents are supposed to make your experience easy, but is it worth the additional costs?
Normal real estate agent commissions will run you 6% of the sale price. This could end up costing you tens of thousands in fees. They will ask you to do certain repairs and make recommendations on how to get the most value for the home. This scenario is the best way to go for 90% of the people looking to sell.
What if selling your house fast without doing any repairs is a higher priority? Selling without an agent is another option that might better suit your needs. The real estate industry would want you to believe that this is not possible, but it is. With the internet at your fingertips, it is easier than ever. Here are 9 tips to help you on this journey!
Selling Your Sebring, FL Home Without an Agent
1.Price it Right
Learn how to comp your own property just like an agent would. Don’t just go off what others asking prices are. Anyone can ask whatever they want for a property, but the market will tell you if this is what people are willing to pay. You need to look at recent sales data which you can find online with sites like Zillow and Redfin.
You can use the Zillow estimate as a baseline, but the numbers can be highly inaccurate. These online websites use a computer algorithm which do not consider factors like condition. To analyze our own property, you need to manually compare apples to apples. You will use the normal bed, bath, and square feet. comparable along with upgrades and finishes each property has. Also stay withing a ¼ mile radius and do not use comps across major streets.
2. Prepare your Photos and Ads
Visuals are everything when it comes to selling your home online. You need to attract as many people as possible with eye-catching photos. Do you know how to edit photos?
We recommend hiring a professional photographer. Mobile phone cameras do an excellent job, but nothing can beat pro quality photos. For a couple hundred dollars it should yield thousands of dollars on the sale.
Now you must write a detailed description of your property and what it has to offer to a new home buyer. Choose your words wisely and vision yourself in the shoes of a buyer. The words you use will motivate the buyer to act and set up an appointment.
3. Post Online
Now that you have your photos and ads ready it’s time to post. Here are a few websites you can use; some are free, and others have paid subscriptions.
Zillow
Realtor.com
Facebook Marketplace
Craigslist.org
You will find plenty of resources online to advertise. The more services you use to post the more eyes will be on the property. This will give you the best chance to get your asking price.
4. Word of Mouth
The internet is powerful, but word of mouth advertising is always a go to in my book. There is a good chance someone in your circle might be interested in the property.
Use your social media accounts to blast it out to your circle of influence. This way your friends and family can share it with their friends which creates a snowball effect. The louder you are the better.
5. Prep the Property
Repairing any serious issues and updating the property will fetch the highest sale price. Do not over update because the new buyer is going to come in and put their own touches on it anyway.
If you don’t have a lot of extra cash in the bank this can be a hurdle you will have to overcome. Focus on the small but important things like fresh paint, pipe leaks and a maintained yard.
Do some spring cleaning to declutter items you do not want to take to your next residence. Reorganize your closets and garage, which will help with the resale value. This will make your home seem spacious and fresh.
6. Show it Off
If you do decide to list with an agent in Sebring, ask them to schedule an open house. Invite friends and family to come by to create a buzz. When other potential buyers walk through, they will see a frenzy of people to create a sense of urgency to put in an offer.
You can do the same thing without an agent it will just take a little more leg work. Create different showing options around your availability. Weekend showings are most popular when buyers are off work.
Sell Direct to a Local Sebring Home Buyer
There is an easier way to sell your home if you don’t have the time or resources to list it on your own. We work with homeowners in Sebring and throughout Highlands County to create simple selling solutions. If you want to sell your property and hit the easy button, give us a call, or fill out our online form today to see how we can help.