January 16, 2024
Here is an article we found from the perspective of sellers who sold their own homes and the daunting details that came from doing that.
“Homeowners who decline to use a real estate agent to sell their property are twice as likely to say they weren’t satisfied with the selling experience, according to a new survey from Clever Real Estate(link is external) of 1,000 home sellers in 2022 and 2023. Survey respondents say they realize they likely made less money on their home sale and faced more stress by not having a professional representative.
Those who didn’t use a real estate agent said before their transaction that they think pros are overpaid for what they do and are not more knowledgeable about the home selling process than the average seller. However, when these respondents reflected on their experience after the transaction, they admitted that they made some mistakes without the help of a pro.
More than a third of non-agent sellers, such as FSBOs or those selling to an iBuyer, said the process was more difficult than they expected. What’s more, these sellers admitted:
- Buyers distrusted them because they didn’t have an agent (43%).
- They struggled to understand their contract (40%).
- They made legal mistakes because they didn’t use an agent (36%).
The survey also found other consequences of going it alone as a seller:
- Lower sales price: Homeowners who sold without a real estate agent are three times more likely to say they lost money on their home sale. The Clever Real Estate survey found that those who sold their home with an agent tended to earn $46,603 more in average profits than those who sold without an agent in 2022 and 2023. About half of unrepresented sellers say they wish they had priced their home differently, and nearly half now believe their home would have sold for more if they would have used an agent.
- Longer selling process: Home sellers without an agent are nearly twice as likely to say they didn’t accept an offer for at least three months; 53% of sellers who used an agent say they accepted an offer within a month of listing their home. Ironically, many homeowners who didn’t use an agent said the primary reason for going it alone was to sell faster.
- More stress: Half of home sellers who did not use an agent admit to crying at some point in the process. Fifty-two percent of unrepresented home sellers said they felt overwhelmed by the entire sales process. On the flip side, homeowners who hired an agent were more likely to say they felt good about their sale and expressed less stress.
To be fair, home sellers who used an agent also had some gripes about their experience, albeit much fewer. But those who were unhappy with their agent experience expressed feelings like their agent was only looking to make a sale and didn’t care about their interests, their agent “annoyed” them, or they thought the agent pressured them into decisions, the survey found. That said, 77% of respondents who used an agent say they were satisfied, and 72% say they would use their agent again.
Even as the vast majority of home searches start online, most consumers still use real estate agents to buy or sell a home. Indeed, the National Association of REALTORS®’ 2023 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers found that 89% of buyers and sellers in the last year used a real estate agent, up from the previous year.
Only 7% of homeowners sold as a FSBO over the last year—which matches the all-time low recorded in 2021, according to NAR data. FSBOs continue to not fare as well in the market as professionally represented homes: FSBOs sold at a median price of $310,000 in the last year, compared to $405,000 for listed homes, NAR’s data shows.
“Having a REALTOR® help you navigate the homebuying and selling process provides peace of mind, especially in a challenging market with high prices, elevated mortgage rates and limited inventory,” says NAR President Tracy Kasper.
Source: NAR
Another article we found specifically spells out the top eleven risks of selling your own home. This article sums up our major concerns as your real estate professionals.
1. Scams happen
Judy (not her real name) in Raleigh, North Carolina, fell in love with a FSBO home. She agreed not to use an agent and paid the homeowner $3,000 in earnest money.
Then the homeowner changed his mind. With no contract signed and no receipt, Judy lost all her earnest money. She trusted the homeowner when she should have trusted an agent.
FSBO scams happen to both buyers and sellers with little recourse besides hiring an attorney.
Common scams include fraudulent papers (appraisals, loan documentation), foreign buyer deposits (scammer sends too much in a bad check and then requests a refund), purchases through a third-party (a fake attorney, etc.) and asking for personal information.
2. Liability is all on the seller
Everyone makes mistakes. A seller (or buyer) who doesn’t have the representation of a licensed agent pays for those mistakes. Attorneys can close a real estate transaction, but they don’t carry errors and omissions (E&O) insurance.
So if homeowner Sandy lists “hardwood floors” as a feature and the buyer discovers it’s just a wood veneer, chances are Sandy is going to pay for that mistake.
An agent would have either caught the mistake or covered it with E&O insurance. Let’s face it: this is a litigious society, so what homeowner wants to be a target for lawsuits?
This is a litigious society, so what homeowner wants to be a target for lawsuits?
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3. Paperwork is daunting
The 2015 National Association of Realtors’ Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers showed that understanding paperwork was one of the most difficult tasks for FSBOs.
Depending on the state, there are a variety of legal forms that are needed, including but not limited to a sales contract, property disclosures, occupancy agreements and lead paint records.
Sure, ready-made contracts can be downloaded easily enough. But does an untrained seller understand what all that means? Would the seller know how to customize that one-size-fits-all contract?
Understanding paperwork was one of the most difficult tasks for FSBOs.
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4. Sellers can get stuck in a bad deal
Like Frank, FSBOs who sign on the dotted line and then realize an error are stuck. They have to pay the buyer (if they’re willing) to get out of or just take the deal.
Let potential clients know you can save them from that headache.
5. FSBOs sell for less
In 2015, FSBOs lost about 16 percent of the sales price with a median selling price of $210,000 (agent-assisted homes sold for $249,000).
Homeowners selling by themselves simply don’t have the time to devote to the process, don’t know the market value, don’t understand market reports and don’t properly market the property.
If the FSBO seller sold to someone he or she knew, the median dropped to $151,900 (because cousin Sue is doing them a favor and expects a deal).
If the 2015 FSBOs sold to someone they knew, the median dropped from $210,000 to $151,900.
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6. FSBOs spend more time on the market
Unless the seller knows someone who wants to buy the home, FSBOs take longer to sell than homes listed with an agent. For the same reasons, they can’t get the right selling price.
No one is “behind the curtain” running the marketing show. On average, 18 percent of FSBOs were unable to sell within their chosen time frame last year.
On average, 18 percent of FSBOs were unable to sell within their chosen timeframe last year.
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7. FSBOs lack representation
There’s no one looking out for the homeowners who sell on their own. They have no one to call if they have a problem or a question.
Dave found this out when he sold his Morrison, Colorado, home himself. Studying for his real estate license, Dave felt confident he could handle the contracts. Then the unexpected happened.
When his house was under contract, a state patrol car pursuing a speeding motorist crashed into a downstairs bedroom. Repairs threatened to push back closing, and suddenly, the buyer was asking for a storage unit, the cost of temporary housing and more.
He was lucky enough to have an agent friend who could step in, but a homeowner with no representation could have been out thousands of dollars unnecessarily.
8. Inspections are problematic
Sellers who don’t know the rules can get stuck with unnecessary and costly repairs. When Sue sold her 10-year-old Highlands Ranch, Colorado, home, after the inspection, the inspector said she needed to change the stairs from the garage to the house because the code had changed.
He listed other code changes, and the buyer began to demand these be done. Surprisingly, the inspector didn’t know that because these items were to code when the house was built, the seller wasn’t responsible for these changes.
9. Marketing is limited
FSBOs have limited resources to market their home. The 2015 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers showed 42 percent rely on a yard sign, 32 percent rely on friends and family, and about 15 percent use social media.
Relying on the neighbors and Uncle Bob’s second cousin has its limitations. Even paying for the MLS listing won’t be enough because there’s no incentive for an agent to bring a buyer to a FSBO.
10. Hidden costs add up
The mindset for most FSBOs is saving money. Chances are, these sellers are being nickeled and dimed into a pretty big chunk of change.
They’re paying for a lot of extras: signage, flyers, photography, MLS listing, attorney (required in multiple states for FSBOs), home warranty (optional but hard to sell without one), home inspection, a wood destroying pest inspection, credit report for buyers (if applicable), contracts and the list goes on.
11. Time costs the seller money
The biggest cost to a homeowner is their time. You might hear the argument that it doesn’t take an agent that much time to sell a house. And honestly, given the technology at our disposal, that’s true — to an extent.
But it will take a homeowner a whole lot longer. They don’t have the expertise or the access to the resources agents have. What is their own time worth to them? How much time will the seller spend researching the market and contracts? Is the seller going to leave work to unlock the house each time there’s a showing?
FSBOs don’t have the expertise or the access to the resources agents have.
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Chris Rediger is the co-founder and president of Redefy Real Estate. Learn more about Chris and Redefy on Twitter or Facebook.
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