9 Responses to “How can I most effectively sell my house without using a realator?”

1. Real Estate Guy Says:
   May 20th, 2010 at 9:42 pm

   if you have to ask, you need a realtor.

   The truth is you can’t afford NOT to use a realtor. On a $60,000 sale, the realtor commission would be $3,600 (6%). However, all the costs would come out of this.

   If you had a $600,000 house it may make sense.

   The costs to sell a $60,000 vs $600,000 house would be about the same. By the time you play at trying to sell your house and spending several thousand dollars in the process, you will use a realtor and STILL pay the 6%.

2. acermill Says:
   May 23rd, 2010 at 7:10 am

   In order to sell your house ‘effectively’ without real estate brokerage representation, you do the same things a real estate agent would do. Advertise the property for sale, using whatever means are at your disposal. Certainly a yard sign is a good start, along with advertisement in your local newspaper. If you want MLS exposure, you’re going to have to list with at least a minimum service firm, which will provide you nothing BUT MLS exposure for a set real estate fee.

   Prepare the house as you would expect to see a house if YOU were in the market to purchase. Clean, decluttered, and looking like a model home. Then prepare to start showing the property to prospective purchasers. If you opt to get MLS exposure, you’re bound to attract some buyers who are represented by agents, so be prepared to pay the agent of the buyer who might purchase the home.

3. godged Says:
   May 25th, 2010 at 8:08 pm

   There are plenty of FSBO gimmicks out there, most are limited service agencies based on you paying a flat fee up front, they give you some signs and forms, you pay everything to advertise and such. Simple, yes. Effective – not that I’ve seen.

   One house near where there are several homes listed with traditional RE agencies is with a limited service agency and it is $30,000 more than the similar houses in the neighborhood. Which is OK by me, because my listings look better priced.

   My point, pricing is key. If you price high for negotiating room, you may price yourself out of the market.

   Appraisals in my area are $400 – $500.

   Costs involved in selling a house: advertising, making flyers, signs, and whatever else you do to market the property.

   I’d suggest you go it alone first, advertise in the free sites, make inexpensive flyers, hold open houses – things that don’t cost you money. If you have the inclination to try a limited service agency after this, go ahead.

   If you get frustrated, you can always contact a Realtor.

4. frankie b Says:
   May 27th, 2010 at 8:07 am

   Yeah people will be knocking down your door to sell at a discount, but yet use the best marketing tools. Now does that even sound like it makes sense? You get what you pay for.
   Hire a Realtor

5. 4Seasons Says:
   May 27th, 2010 at 9:17 am

   This is a risky market to be a FSBO. I can understand you want to maximize your limited equity, but a good realtor can make a huge difference for you. Maybe you can try marketing directly to the successful realtors in your neighborhood first, if they bring a buyer you can pay them half the standard commission. If your top commission is $4,900 on a $70k sale, just make your price $75,000 and hire the realtor full time or $72,500 and do your FSBO.

   Otherwise, to answer your question, Help U Sell may be an option. Good Luck.

6. Terry S Says:
   May 29th, 2010 at 2:30 am

   If you want to sell it without using a Realtor, do what a Realtor would do.

   First make an e-flyer and post it on the internet

   You can make an e-flyer at

   Then you get to post it to the following web sites.

   Whomever said being a Realtor was just driving people around were dead wrong.

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   Good Luck

   Terry S.

7. katlanta Says:
   May 29th, 2010 at 1:56 pm

   Selling a house is so much more than marketing – I would follow the advice of all the other posters and get a realtor.

   IMHO the only people who have luck without realtors live in very high demand markets like San Francisco, where listings sell in a few days.

8. REALTOR Says:
   June 1st, 2010 at 1:15 pm

   “Inexpensive but effective?” Well, since you usually get what you paid for… I’m sure you know what the answer is.

9. Anthony Says:
   June 3rd, 2010 at 2:35 pm

   Before I make this recommendation, I will say that having a realtor represent you is immensely valuable unless you are an expert hardball negotiator. It is a buyers market, and it is likely that a savvy buyer will be able to talk you down by convincing you that you were going to pay a realtor 6% anyway – that is how savvy buyers look at for sale by owners properties – as opportunities to get a discount.

   That said, here is a book that is written to help people that are trying to sell their own home. It also points out that 80% of the people that try to sell their home end up using an agent. If money is that big of an issue, use a discount service such as Help U Sell or “Save 6″

   Here is the link to the book web site: