There is a statistic that shows that most homes that are listed via FSBO end up being listed and sold by a Realtor or agent. So the question is when is it time to throw in the towel and hire an agent? Well likely the time would be when you figure out that it is costing you more to continue trying to sell the home than you are saving in commissions. An FSBO home does not simply sell itself. It takes time, money and more time on your part as the seller to get your home the exposure it needs in order to sell. One of the main things that it is hard for an FSBO seller to achieve is enough buzz about the home in the local real estate market. If there is not sufficient buzz about the home then it is unlikely to get many viewers and even fewer qualified buyers.
This is a problem that most FSBO sellers run up against at some point and it is one of the main reasons that FSBO sellers eventually list with an agent.
One thing that many FSBO sellers do not realize at the outset of their sale is the amount of time that they will have to dedicate to their home sale. There are quite a number of things that the seller must attend to in any home sale, adding the responsibilities of the agent simply adds more time and stress to the equation. Now there is a high enough priority on time at this point already. You will undoubtedly be trying to prepare yourself for a move, purchase a home, work, clean, take care of the kids or family and live your life. Do you really have the time to sell and advertise a home too? This is precisely what you have to do in selling your home yourself.
Real estate agents specialize in getting the word out about homes. They have large advertising budgets, an established web presence and a host of contacts that are vital in acquiring good, qualified buyers for their clients. Finding qualified buyers is really what showing a home comes down to. There will of course be the looky-loos and unqualified home buyers who are looking but have no finances arranged and could be looking far outside their price range. A real estate agent spends time sifting through these people, making sure that they are not wasting your time with improbable buyers. There are some real benefits to using an agent, faster sales, better coverage, exposure to more buyers and last but definitely not least a higher average selling price.
