As a For Sale By Owner it is extremely important that you make your home known to as many potential buyers as possible. One of the most cost effective ways to do this when representing yourself is to make use of the internet.
For example, a large part of the exposure we generate on our listings is as a result of our homes appearing on more than 350 of the most popular search sites (in addition to the MLS, agent sites, etc). And while you might not have the desire, time or tools to be on this many web sites, there is no reason why you can’t get your home up on some of the more popular ones to get a fair amount of exposure on your home.
Hopefully by now you are aware of For Sale By Owner specific sites such as www.ForSaleByOwner.com, www.fsbo.com and similar sites which are a good place to start for those buyers focusing on FSBO’s. In addition, you should target other popular home search and classified sites, such as Craigslist, Yahoo Real Estate, Zillow, Trulia and YouTube.
Here is sample of some of the many sites we place homes on that you may wish to consider.
Equally as important as making sure your home is easily found online by buyers, is making sure it is shown in its best light. Quality photos are absolutely key as buyers very quickly eliminate homes based on any of the following:
- rooms that look smaller than they are (use a wide angle lense, or have us take photos for you using our SLR with wide angle, similar to what our professional photographer uses – as long as you don’t mind us sharing the photos with our potential buyers.)
- dark photos (hence why all our photos are color corrected)
- inappropriate choice of photo for front of home (eg. showing all garage)
- photos that could deter a buyer from viewing your home in person. Photo selection is extremely important to maximize physical showings of your home.
As with anything, the key to success is knowing what you need to do. We’ve prepared a guide to assist home sellers understand all the elements involved so you, on your own, can sell your home quickly and for the most profit. Our guide covers 10 inside tips that will help lead you to success.
