It isn't uncommon for someone selling their house to try to sell it on their own, as a FSBO (For Sale By Owner), rather than work with a Realtor. With the average real estate commission costing the seller 6%, listing a house without using a real estate agent can obviously save the seller quite a bit of cash.

With that said, there are a few things you need to think about before you go the FSBO route. Bear in mind, there is a reason why more than 80% of all FSBOs eventually end up embracing the services of a real estate agent.

1. Effectively Marketing Your Home

First of all, listing a house is without question a time-consuming process. Its not as easy as putting up an advertisement in Craigslist and putting a "for sale" sign in you yard. Currently there are many, many real estate websites you should list your home on and despite the fact that you can do the majority of this by yourself, there's one site that only Realtors can post on which is in fact the most important site of all...the local MLS or Multiple Listing Service.

Not only that, but your Realtor will also have a great deal of experience with internet marketing techniques designed to get your property positioned high in the major search engines. And it is by means of the internet that virtually all home searches start.

Furthermore, a good Realtor should have a deep network of other Realtors and buyers which they deal with frequently as part of their daily business.

2. Setting the Price

One of the major mistakes FSBOs often make is listing the house at the wrong price. Pricing is by far the most important factor in marketing your home and if you don't know how to do a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) you may not price your home correctly.

3. Negotiations and Contracts

Negotiating is not easy. Most people are not trained negotiators which can easily result in deals deteriorating . Realtors, however, have a substantial amount of negotiating expertise and will use that experience to help you close the deal. Remember, negotiating is not only about the cost of the house. Negotiating also includes other aspects including loans, inspection contingencies etc.

Likewise, if you're a lawyer then filling out a contract is no problem. On the other hand, for the majority of us, all that legal mumbo-jumbo can be daunting. Having a real estate agent on your side to handle all this will make you feel more at ease.

In a nutshell...if you want to sell your house you should genuinely think about the 3 factors above before you try to do it yourself.

If you're considering selling a home in Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota, or Bradenton and want to save money on the commission, then call Tanya Waxler, Florida Licensed Broker and Owner of uKeepCommission Real Estate at 941-465-9207...One phone call can save you thousands of dollars!