Sellers Who Go Solo Usually End Up Looking for an Agent

Selling Your Home Can Be Difficult
By, James Fink, Sacramento Business Journal Online (06/25/01)

Even though the real estate market has been bullish since the mid-1990s, a study by the National Association of Realtors shows that the percentage of For Sale By Owner (FSBO) transactions declined from 18 percent in 1997 to 16 percent in 1999. Moreover, a second study by the group found that one out of every four FSBOs eventually went back to an agent or broker – a number that would have been even higher if not for successful deals involving special relationships between the buyer and seller. Still another survey found that only 32 percent of those selling their homes on their own would choose the FSBO route in the future.

NAR spokesman Walter Molony concedes that selling a home without an agent is entirely possible but that sellers must then tackle the legal requirements, mandated disclosures, and emotional details that a Realtor is better suited to handle.

An experienced agent has the ability to set up and monitor a showing, carry out a prescreening, and spot the details that make the difference between a quick sale and prolonged listing. Brokers also understand what information is necessary to divulge to prospective buyers and what is better left unsaid.

The typical FSBO remains on the market 30 days before the sellers become frustrated and turn the listing over to an agent.

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