Try Selling FSBO for FREE before Paying

If you are a homeowner, frustrated with high-cost home selling methods and are looking for alternative ways to sell your property, consider selling "By Owner."

There are many For Sale By Owner (FSBO) websites online today, but it's challenging to decipher which company to work with. A good place to start is to post a rental listing on Zillow. It's free!

To find other sites, go to Google and do a search for these phrases: "for sale by owner" or "sell my home" and see which sites come up in the top organic (non-paid) search results. These are the sites that Google has determined to have the highest relevance for your search. After clicking around, you'll notice that there are only a few FSBO companies providing homeowners with the resources needed to successfully buy and sell real estate at a substantially reduced costs, or no cost at all.

Be fully informed and in control by doing your research first.

• Does the website look legitimate?
• Is it full of text that only a lawyer or robot would enjoy reading?
• Does it offer dedicated and preferred partners for services such as moving, home warranties, mortgages, inspectors, appraisers, etc.?

You should be able to find a broad scope of services, not just one or two. It takes a little more than just contracts to sell real estate.

One key way to determine a quality organization is to see if they have created arrangements with top tier institutions to offer buyers and sellers services from a trusted source. These companies have signed legal agreements and are held to a higher standard for providing services.

In addition, many For Sale By Owner companies only offer FSBO home listing services for a fee. Why jump the gun and pay for a service that you are unfamiliar with when you can receive a free trial at no cost to you? Many companies charge a recurring monthly fee, or large initial lump sum to list properties on their site. Try it for free and then decide your next course of action. Market your property with confidence once you see that you like the service. If you are being asked to call for pricing, or pay a significant up front fee without a trial period - be cautious.

And if you're interested in cutting through the chase and want to list your home on the MLS for maximum exposure to local buyers through the broadest advertising option available in today's market, there is no free trial for this service. A licensed agent who has paid a fee to become a member of your local MLS is the only person who can add your home to the MLS and Realtor.com.  Unfortunately, they don't work for free.You have a couple options if you're selling real estate on your own. Best of luck with whatever you choose. Based on your current local market conditions, results will vary.


By Diane Tuman