A lot of homeowners are reluctant to try to sell their own homes, rather than using a real estate agent. Some of the typical reasons include:
- I don’t know how to sell (or I don’t like to sell)
- I don’t know enough about the real estate market
- I don’t have time to sell my house
- I can’t be bothered selling my own house
I’m going to challenge those assumptions. Not only can you sell your own home, but no one can sell your house better than you can!
Having been a realtor for over 20 years, here’s how I know:
You Know Your Home Better Than Anyone Else
When a real estate agent lists a house for sale, she assembles a wide range of information about the property. And where does she get most of that information?
From you.
Why? Because you know the property better than anyone else.
Have you ever heard the expression knowledge is power? Who has greater knowledge about your house than you do? No one on the planet Earth.
When a real estate agent provides information to a prospective buyer about your home, it’s based mostly on representations provided by you. This is why an agents answers to a buyers questions are often no better than superficial. The agent doesn’t really know what the story is with your property.
You do, and that’s why the information you can supply a buyer will be more convincing. You’re not merely relaying the information, you’re the source of it.
It’s Easy to Sell a Product That You Know and Love
Do you know who the best sales people in the world are? They’re people who are selling products and services that they truly believe in.
Selling isn’t hard when you know and love what it is you’re selling. If you do, you aren’t really selling – you’re endorsing. Do that with enough enthusiasm, and you can sell anything.
Which brings us to selling your own home. With the knowledge you have about your home, plus the emotional attachment you have to it (which hopefully is positive!), you will be the very best advocate for your home. People will sense your conviction, and be more willing buy from you.
A real estate agent can’t match that combination.
A Real Estate Agent Has Many Homes to Sell – You Only Have One
Do you want to know a real estate insider secret? The most successful real estate agents in town often have the least amount of time to sell your home. They’re successful because they do big numbers. That means that they’re good at selling a lot of houses, but not usually the best at selling any particular piece of property.
A highly successful agent will have many deals going at once, and can’t possibly give your home the attention that it needs in order to sell. In fact, if your home doesn’t sell, a successful agent knows to move on to the next deal. That’s precisely why they’re so successful.
If you’re selling your own home, it’s the only “deal” you have to work on. And you have a vested interest in the sale. That alone could make you a better salesman or woman for your home than the best real estate agents in town could ever be.
Many Buyers Don’t Want Work With Real Estate Agents
Did you ever buy something on the web at least partially as a way to avoid dealing with a sales person? A lot of people do. It’s probably the second biggest reason why people buy online, rather than at a physical location.
There are a few reasons for this, and all are relevant in the sale of your home:
- Most people dislike working with commissioned sales people, because they’re often pushy and try to get them to buy what they don’t want
- A sales person will sell you what he’s got – which may not be the best deal for you
- Most people are aware that where a sales person is involved, they will pay more for the product
- People don’t want to be “sold” anything – they want to buy, and to do it without interference
- Many commissioned sales people can be obnoxious
What’s even more important is that the internet gives people an option to buy what they want without dealing with sales staff. People are now buying everything over the web, even houses. The chances are increasing that you will sell your house with at least the initial buyer contact coming from the web.
No One Has More Incentive to Sell Your Home Than You
If an agent sells your home, she’ll make a few thousand dollars on the sale. If you sell your home, you’ll be able to move onto your next house, you’ll free up the equity to buy that next house, and you may even free yourself up to move to a better paying job. Simply put, you have more riding on the sale of your home than any real estate agent ever could. You have more incentive than anyone, period.
You need to put that built-in incentive to work in selling your own home. If you’re unsure how to do that, my Selling Your Home Made Simple program will show you everything you that you need to do to market and sell your home without using a real estate agent. You can even sell it quicker, and walk away with more cash in your bank account.
Never doubt that no one can sell your house better than you can – and you can!
( Photo by Jim Larrison )
