For Sale By Owner (FSBO) sellers are a unique group. They’re often determined, confident, and resourceful, but selling a home without an agent can be overwhelming. As a real estate agent with experience working in various real estate markets with ever-changing market conditions, you have the expertise and understanding to approach FSBO sellers with respect and value-driven solutions to help them sell their homes.
Our FSBO Kits are meant to provide value to FSBO sellers without being too pushy or overly sales-y. They include a summary of the listing process and focus on three key areas: home selling prep, home pricing, and marketing. Through this value-packed kit, you can help FSBO sellers understand the value of professional expertise while offering actionable tips to make their home sales smoother and more successful.
Home Selling Prep
Preparation is the foundation of a successful home sale. FSBO sellers may underestimate the importance of these early steps, which are essential to ensuring a good first impression from potential buyers:
- Declutter and Depersonalize: Suggest removing excess belongings and personal items like family photos. Buyers need to envision themselves living in the space.
- Deep Cleaning: A clean home feels inviting and well-maintained. Recommend professional cleaning services if necessary.
- Address Minor Repairs: Recommend fixing things like squeaky doors, leaky faucets, and peeling paint. These small changes can significantly impact buyers’ first impressions and can prevent them from seeing the home as a “project”
- Enhance Curb Appeal: Remind sellers that the exterior is the first thing buyers see. Suggest landscaping, power washing, or even a fresh coat of paint on the front door.
Pricing
Getting the price right is one of the most critical—and also challenging—steps for FSBO sellers. Overpricing can lead to a stale listing while underpricing leaves money on the table. Our FSBO Kits include a pricing strategy analysis, which allows you to ask the sellers some important questions that can help determine if their home is priced correctly.
In addition, you can offer to provide them with a detailed CMA that compares their home to similar recently sold properties in the area. A few more topics to discuss include:
- Avoid Emotional Pricing: Sellers often overvalue their homes due to emotional attachment. Gently explain that buyers base their decisions on data, not sentiment.
- Consider Market Trends: Highlight how the time of year, local demand, and economic factors influence pricing.
- Show the Risks of Overpricing: Explain that overpriced homes often linger on the market, making buyers wonder if something is wrong with the property.
Marketing
A well-marketed home attracts more buyers, creates competition, and can lead to higher offers. However, marketing requires more than a simple online listing or yard sign.
- Best Features: Highlight the home’s best features in the property description and across all marketing platforms.
- Professional Photography: Great photos make a strong first impression. Offer to connect FSBO sellers with local photographers who specialize in real estate.
- Leverage Online Platforms: Suggest popular FSBO-friendly platforms like Zillow, Craigslist, and Realtor.com, and explain how social media can amplify their reach.
- Virtual Tours: Highlight how virtual tours or video walkthroughs can engage buyers who may not visit in person.
- Staging for Marketing: Emphasize that staging isn’t just for showings—it makes marketing materials more compelling.
Selling a home is one of the biggest financial transactions most people make. FSBO sellers who master preparation, pricing, and marketing can improve their chances of success—but it’s a lot to handle. By providing value and positioning yourself as the professional, you open the door for FSBO sellers to reach out to you if it becomes too much for them and they want to hire you to sell their home. If you have questions about our FSBO Kits or any other marketing-related questions, reach out to us or schedule a call with us! We would love to help!
