Buying or selling a property For Sale by Owner (FSBO) is gaining in popularity among home buyers and sellers. With tools available online to market your home for sale or buy a home without the help of a traditional real estate agent, the process is getting easier every day. Here is the best way to find FSBO listings online and save thousands on your real estate transaction.
What is FSBO?
For Sale by Owner (FSBO) is a way homeowners can list, sell and close the sale of their property by doing most or all of the work an real estate agent would normally do. By not using a real estate agent to market the property and carry out the related administrative tasks, a seller can save thousands, up to 3% of the selling price of the home for the seller agent commission. And, if the buyer agrees not to use a buyer agent, then the savings to the seller might be as much as 6%. One big advantage to both buyer and seller is that they can negotiate the selling price to share in these substantial savings.
What does FSBO involve?
To sell a property FSBO, a seller takes a number of steps. Here are the basics:
● Prepare the home for sale by making repairs, sprucing up the entry for “curb appeal”, cleaning, decluttering and staging if needed
● Organize information that includes the facts about the home (square footage, etc.)
● Do market research to determine the best list price for the property
● Sign up with a flat fee FSBO broker and complete the MLS listing paperwork
● Take photos of the home to be included in the online listing
● Take your Multiple Listing Service (MLS) listing live
● Respond promptly to buyer inquiries and show the home
● Check buyer qualifications and negotiate with serious buyers to settle on details of the sale
● Prepare the sales contract, set up the escrow account, and complete other close steps and paperwork (or use a flat fee broker service or get help from an attorney)
● Close the sale and collect the money
To buy a property, buyers find FSBO listings online, then contact the seller directly and negotiate the sale with them. The buyer may use a real estate agent to represent them or handle the purchase on their own or hire the services of a flat fee MLS Listing Company that will assist in the preparation of the offer.
How Do You Find FSBO Listings Online?
FSBO homes get the most visibility when they are listed on the MLS, the network of listing services that realtors use to market homes for sale. For an FSBO seller to list on the MLS, they need to find a licensed realtor who has access to the MLS. A flat fee broker service like FSBO Virginia provides that service, making it easy and affordable for FSBO sellers to list their homes right alongside homes for sale through traditional real estate agents. An MLS listing will attract the largest number of interested buyers and usually results in higher quality offers.
Buyers can find the best FSBO homes on FSBO websites that specialize in FSBO Home Listings. They will need to specify “for sale by owner” homes to narrow their search if they only want to shop for FSBO homes. FSBO Virginia makes it easy to find listings by FSBO brokers that show only FSBO homes for sale.
FSBO Virginia lists a wide range of FSBO homes available in the Virginia-Maryland-DC area on our website. Here you will find links to our FSBO Listings both on our website and on all the major real estate websites. Our seller packages all come with the MLS listing included along with the information and phone support you need to set it up.
Can I Get Help with FSBO?
FSBO can seem complicated to a new buyer or seller. But with the right tools and guidance, the process can be easier than you think, and you will save thousands of dollars on your transaction. This is money you can invest in your new home, or to pay down a mortgage. FSBO is a smart way to do real estate when you put a good plan together and follow through.
Here are some of the ways FSBO Virginia’s flat fee services can help you:
Sellers
● Flat Fee MLS listing – we provide access, you load your home’s details and set the date you want the listing to go live – when you are ready
● Selling supplies – let us provide your yard signs, flyers and lockboxes
● Virtual showings and tours option to increase reach and interest in your property
● Informational videos and articles – we can walk you through steps like completing your MLS listing, taking photographs that show your home well, open houses, negotiating, contracts and more
● Negotiating the price – some buyers and sellers prefer not to negotiate the price. We can do that for you.
● Close process – the close process and related paperwork can be complicated. We can handle that for you.
● No selling agent fee. You save at least 3% of the selling price of your home and up to 6%, if the buyer does not use an agent.
Buyers
● Home buyer’s rebate – as your representative agent, we share any commission we get with you. Up to 2% of the purchase price of the home comes back to you in cash at closing.
● Competitively priced homes and direct access to the seller
● Access our brokerage listings of FSBO homes all in one place
● Contract to Closing Support to help you with negotiations and close paperwork
Find the FSBO Home of your Dreams with FSBO Virginia
Buyers looking to buy a home in Virginia, DC and Maryland can find their home on our substantial list of For Sale by Owner home listings and take advantage of our Home Buyer Rebate. Call 540-582-5777 or contact us today for more information on how an FSBO home sale or purchase can benefit you.
