Keeping your home listed with a real estate agent can be an excellent way to sell it quickly and for the right price. However, if you are not comfortable having strangers inside your home, answering probing questions about its condition, and handling offers on your behalf, this may not be right for you.
Using an agent may also cut into the proceeds of selling your home. If you’re willing to take some risks and put in some time, though, there are several things that you can do to market your home on your own without listing it with a realtor. So here’s what you need to know about selling your home without a realtor in Knoxville, TN.
Hiring a Professional Photographer
There are a few things in real estate that have been proven to increase the speed at which homes sell. One of these is hiring a professional photographer to take pictures of your home for the listing.
Using a professional will ensure that your listing photos show your home in its best light by following the principles of good composition and lighting.
If you are going to hire a professional to take photos of your home, make sure to give them plenty of notice, so they can book a time to come out to your home.
You’ll want to give them several different times of day to come out and shoot your home so they can try different lighting and get the best photos to market your home.
Staging Your Home
If you’re planning to sell your home, you may want to consider staging it. Staging is a process in which you spend a few dollars to buy furniture and decorations that make your home seem more appealing to buyers.
There are several things you can do to make your home seem more appealing. You can paint one wall a different color, put fresh flowers in vases, and rearrange furniture.
You may also want to add a few decorative items that don’t go with anything in your home, like sculptures or paintings—anything that serves to give potential buyers an idea of what certain décor will look like in your space.
Don’t Price Too Low
Selling your home for less than it’s worth can have negative consequences. Potential buyers may be turned off by the low asking price, and there may be a rush of offers that don’t leave you with enough time to choose the best one.
The best way to sell your home quickly is to set the price high enough to get a lot of interest. This will not only get your house sold more quickly, but it’s more likely that you’ll get more for it.
Be Sure to Use the Multiple Listing Service
The Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is a network that brokers use. The MLS is a database that lists essential information about properties. In the past, you would’ve had to pay full commission price to list your home on the MLS.
Today, though, a handful of brokers in Knoxville let you list on the MLS for a far more affordable fee. Keep in mind that more than 90% of property transactions are done via the MLS. So it’s a cost-effective option to use it.
If you list it with a broker, they will put it in the MLS, where other agents can see it. What’s more, they will also use other forms of advertising, like internet ads, websites like Zillow, open houses, and signs, to draw in buyers.
With the full backing of the Multiple Listing Service on your side, you stand a much better chance of selling quickly and for the price you want.
You Can Usually Flip a Coin on Advertising in Tennessee
When choosing where to advertise, you may be inclined to put your money into the places that will get you the biggest return. Unfortunately, history has shown that there is no reliable way to determine which methods net the best results.
And this is especially true in Knoxville, Tennessee. Sometimes ads work remarkably well. Other times, they are a complete waste of time and money. Moreover, selling your home during certain seasons plays a significant role in the success of your selling efforts.
During the spring and summer months, more people are looking to buy homes than any other time of the year. So if you do spend money and resources on advertising, it’s best to do so during these months and not in the fall or winter.
Market Wisely
Typically, it’s your real estate agent who handles the specifics of marketing your home. But if it’s just you selling, you’ll need to be creative in how you market. Since you’ve decided to forego the expertise of a real estate agent, you’re probably trying to save money.
Marketing can get expensive fast, so consider utilizing some affordable strategies, like putting up catchy flyers around Knoxville or placing an open house ad in the paper.
You can also place a “for sale by owner” ad on websites like Craigslist or Facebook. Signing up for these sites is free, but you will have to put in some time to create a compelling ad that will attract buyers.
To help you to create an effective ad, make sure that you include the following information:
Price: This should be your asking price, but leave room for negotiation if someone offers less.
Location: Be as specific as possible about the location of your home and its surrounding neighborhood.
Details: Include information about the size, condition, and any upgrades that your home has, as well as what’s included in the sale.
Contact Info: Include your name, phone number, and email address so that people can get in touch with you.
You might want to look into using free online template programs that create ads for you if you’re not familiar with this process.
Choose Your Own Showings
Another benefit of selling your home in Knoxville without a realtor is that you can choose your own showings. When a potential buyer contacts you to set up a showing, ask them to let you know when they plan to visit.
This will give you plenty of time to tidy up your home and make preparations for the potential buyer’s visit. When choosing which showings to allow, you should be selective. Try to choose showings with times that work, not against you.
Estimate Your Home’s Value
If you are trying to sell your home without a realtor, one important thing to keep in mind is that you need to accurately estimate your home’s value. You don’t want to overprice your home, but you also don’t want to sell it for less than it is worth.
If you overprice your home and then are unable to sell it, you may have to lower the price several times before you find a buyer. This can create a lot of stress and may make you feel pressured to sell at a lower price than you would like.
Once you have an idea of what your home is worth and have listed it correctly, you can begin to receive offers. These can help you to gauge the interest in your home and to see if you are in the ballpark with your price.
Negotiate On Your Own
When you sell your home without a realtor, you will probably be responsible for handling the initial negotiations with buyers. This can be a lot of pressure for some people, but there are a few things that you can do to make this process as easy as possible.
First, you should have an idea of your home’s value (as discussed above). If you overestimate your home’s value, you may find it harder to negotiate a good price.
Next, make sure that you have your home’s information organized and accessible. This can help you to respond to offers quickly. Finally, take your time. Don’t rush into accepting an offer. Instead, carefully review each offer and only accept one if it is right for you.
Conclusion
Selling your home without the help of a realtor is a challenge. There are many things to consider when marketing your home on your own, and it will take a lot of time and effort to make it happen.
Be sure to keep these tips in mind so that you can get your home sold as quickly and easily as possible. If you’re ready to sell your home, but you don’t want to deal with realtors and other stressful aspects of the sale, these tips will put you on the right path.
Selling a house is a lot of work, but not everyone has the time or resources to play the waiting game. If you’re in a hurry to sell, why not let us make you an offer? At Bigger Equity, we buy homes for cash so that rushed sellers like yourself can get on with their lives.
If you’re interested in hearing what we can offer you, contact us today for a free quote.