MLS listing service and FOSB advice

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nebeno

New Member
All, I'm going to be selling my home shortly, and plan to sell it without a selling agent. I'm in the Ranch Club in Lusby. Here's my current plan:

List on Craigslist
List on SOMD
List on Zillow
List on AHRN (military housing site)
List on Yahoo! Real Estate
List on ForSaleByOwner.com (cost $55)

Open house Sat/Sun. Signs out on Rousby Hall (I'm pretty close to the entrance). I will work with a buyer agent if the price is right.

All that will cost maybe $100; $55 for the site above, and a bit for signs and flyers and such.

The last piece is getting it listed on the MLS. There are tons of places online to list it, but not really sure what's best. Some folks online advise finding a local realtor who will list on MLS for a flat fee (cheapest online listing is around $200). Anyone know of any realtors who will provide this service?

And anyone have any other advise for selling your own home? Anything on base or in the Ranch Club specifically I can do to get the word out?

I also plan to sell it quick, hopefully the first week. I bought it cheap, have put a lot of work into it, and want sell it below market value and in the first week or two. So i'm not working on a long term selling plan, but rather a surge approach.

Thanks!
 
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abcxyz

New Member
Expect to pay for a buyers agent. The public is brainwashed in to thinking this is free since the seller pays it. Factor that cost in to your price from the start and then discount if they are not using an agent.
 
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nebeno

New Member
Ya, the whole real estate agent thing feels like a cartel. It was useful before the internet, but now it really doesn't make much sense, especially for the enormous fee. The MLS doesn't make sense anymore either.

Folks like Redfin are trying to change that up a bit, but they still charge 1.5% or a $5,500 minimum for a selling agent, and you still pay 3% for a buying agent. For my house, around $200k, I would still be paying around 3% for the selling agent as well ($6,000 is 3%, verse the $5,500 minimum).

What's so bad about the Ranch Club? It wasn't my first choice moving here actually, but now that we've been here, I really enjoy it. We walk to the beach, to the horseshoe pits, to the trails, to the horses, even to church (our church meets in the admin building). I haven't had any problems with the HOA either. I do have my own business and don't have to deal with bridge traffic.
 
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abcxyz

New Member
nebeno said:
Ya, the whole real estate agent thing feels like a cartel. It was useful before the internet, but now it really doesn't make much sense, especially for the enormous fee. The MLS doesn't make sense anymore either.
Click to expand...

As long as buyers think using a Realtor is free, they are going to keep using them. You are paying for the MLS because that is what Realtors use and you want a Realtor to see your listing and bring you a buyer. It is all about someone bringing you a buyer. Bringing you a buyer. Bringing you a buyer.
 
frequentflier

frequentflier

happy to be living
nebeno said:
All, I'm going to be selling my home shortly, and plan to sell it without a selling agent. I'm in the Ranch Club in Lusby. Here's my current plan:

List on Craigslist
List on SOMD
List on Zillow
List on AHRN (military housing site)
List on Yahoo! Real Estate
List on ForSaleByOwner.com (cost $55)

Open house Sat/Sun. Signs out on Rousby Hall (I'm pretty close to the entrance). I will work with a buyer agent if the price is right.

All that will cost maybe $100; $55 for the site above, and a bit for signs and flyers and such.

The last piece is getting it listed on the MLS. There are tons of places online to list it, but not really sure what's best. Some folks online advise finding a local realtor who will list on MLS for a flat fee (cheapest online listing is around $200). Anyone know of any realtors who will provide this service?

And anyone have any other advise for selling your own home? Anything on base or in the Ranch Club specifically I can do to get the word out?

I also plan to sell it quick, hopefully the first week. I bought it cheap, have put a lot of work into it, and want sell it below market value and in the first week or two. So i'm not working on a long term selling plan, but rather a surge approach.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Does the house have a basement?
 
N

nebeno

New Member
Some info on the house:

It's a split foyer (with a decent sized entry area, as opposed to some), open floor plan. 1764 sq ft, 3 bed, 3 bath.

Upper level has kitchen, dining, living, full bath, master bedroom (with two closets, one of which is walk in), and master bath.

Lower level has two bedrooms and one full bath, large game room, and laundry room, with a door out the back. So back side of the lower level is above grade, front side is half below grade.

Also has a 7x14 shed out back.

It is not on a cliff.

Other info: mostly new windows, new doors, new flooring throughout, two baths are new, all new appliances, granite countertops, new lighting.

I'll upload some pictures tomorrow.

I'll work with buyers agents if they can get me a buyer willing to pay a good price. Not going to sign anything long term with them though.

Does anyone have any experience with buying selling with AHRN? I know a couple people (military and contractor) who say they have both bought and sold through the site.

Any anyone know of a realtor who may work with me to pay them a flat fee to list on MLS through them? Say for $300 or so?
 
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pappascw

Member
I just sold my family home, and I couldnt imagine doing it without a realtor. Maybe if you did it alot but it was all a big headache. Was in no hurry to sell it but once listed had 2 written offers in 5 days. Closed 6 weeks later. The realtors cost me about 13K but it was well worth it to me.
 
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abcxyz

New Member
nebeno said:
I'll work with buyers agents if they can get me a buyer willing to pay a good price. Not going to sign anything long term with them though.
Click to expand...

Tell them you will only go under contract if their buyer has their house under contract (or is non-contingent). No need to be under contract and losing potential other buyers when they aren't under contract. You like my house? Go home and sell yours and it can be yours.

I don't know of an agent that would list for $300. You want to go cheap, that is fine and nothing wrong with that, but you are going to get a bulk listing company that puts in exactly what you send them, puts in the pictures you take, puts in your contact information and so on. Those bulk listing places don't sell homes, they do data entry. You want more than that, you are going to pay closer to 3% than $300.

Clean your house up and take good pictures in good natural light. Cut the lawn without the bagger, grass will look greener and thicker. Bag some clippings to dump on thin/bare spots to make it look greener/thicker. Put away any thing that may offend any one. Guns? Hidden. Obama posters? Hidden (I prefer to burn but whatever). Don't lose the sale over someones feelings.

Drive a POS car? Park it down the street. I see your car with a duct taped wiper blade, I'm going to start wondering if you treated your house the same way. Did you fix that leaky pipe the same way? Hmmm....

Be ready to show your house at all times. Hang out in the front yard "doing stuff" all weekend when house hunters are driving around. Someone driving slow? Wave them over. Ask them to come in, say "I know you want to". Have a flyer thing in your front yard (Home Depot $10). Use good paper, use good ink. Trying to save $50 in ink selling a house that is several hundred grand? I'm going to wonder what else you cheaped out on. Carpet padding? Caulking here and there? Be ready to hand them a flyer on the fly.

Offer the buyers agent 3% from the get-go, in your listing along with a $1K bonus paid directly to agent for full price offer. This goes in the notes of the listing, only able to be seen on the MLS; not shown on homesdatabase or any of those other sites. Nobody knows but you and the agent, they can work their split with their broker on the bonus (or not..) on their own time. Put on your flyer Buyers Agents welcome. You can bet a buyers agent is going to come by to see if you will work with them BEFORE they ever set foot there with their client. A buyer is going to have an agent, even if they don't already have an agent. Resign yourself to this fact and price accordingly. If they don't have an agent, then discount accordingly (or not).

Your house need some work? Go to Home Depot, get a can of paint, paint brush, rollers and trays and then make up a sign with "$500 paint allowance included in price, custom paint YOUR new house the color YOU want". It will make them forget your house needs work because they can fix it for cheaper than you are offering to pay them to fix it for. Don't put $100, they will think I can do it for that, big deal. Put $500, they will think they can make money doing it which will allow you to charge that extra $1K for your house, give them $500 and you are still $500 ahead.

These are just a few tips, plenty of tips out there and good luck with the sale.
 
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nebeno

New Member
Bonus for lead

Thanks for the helpful replies! Especially yours abcxyz.

I had another question I forgot to ask originally: Does anyone have any experience with or heard anyone who has had success with offering some bonus to any individual who sends you a buyer? Something to put in the ad perhaps, or just to tell friends on Facebook (and have them tell their friends, etc), that anyone who sends you someone who ends up buying the house will get a bonus (something like $1000)? I saw this suggested online somewhere, but haven't heard of anyone doing it. Seems it could really get the word out, I know plenty of people who would actively spread the word to their friends for a chance at $1k.

I had a realtor come by to look at the house. Asked him to convince me why I should have a realtor vs. selling it myself. I wasn't really convinced. I think buying realtors would be more likely to want to work with a selling realtor, so some buying realtors may ignore me even if I offer 3% up front. But people I know are more likely to find a house online and ask their realtor to show it to them. Especially due to the fact that Realtors can't even list homes on AHRN.

He also said the open house is mainly for realtors to see the house, not for buyers to come look. Anyone have any thoughts on open houses? Do you go to them yourself if you are looking to buy? Have you found them useful if you sell?

I am going to have a couple more realtors come by and give me their opinions.
 
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nebeno

New Member
I've officially listed the house, for anyone who was interested. I have decided to sell it without an agent (though I will still work with buyers agents), and will post here on my results. I am listing it on MLS for a flat fee of $395 through Owner.com.


365 Abilene Ct, Lusby, MD 20657 - Zillow
 

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abcxyz

New Member
Yes to the "bird dog fee". You never know who is going to bring you a buyer and if that is what it takes to get the word out then so be it. Think of it like this, if someone other than an Agent brings you a buyer, you are saving 3% minus whatever your bird dog fee is ($1K in your post).

nebeno said:
I think buying Realtors would be more likely to want to work with a selling realtor, so some buying Realtors may ignore me even if I offer 3% up front.
Click to expand...

I disagree. A buyers agent is going to think, since they are the "professional" and you aren't, that they can get their client a better deal without another "professional" involved. The buyer and their Agent are going to assume you are profiting the 3% of the sellers side and may want to share in your spoils (ie- ask for a 3% reduction or Realtor may ask for 4%, which may be worth paying for them to do all the paperwork). Your come back is that you already took that discount off, passing that savings on to them, in your initial pricing. The other angle to protect your price is if you put the "$1K bonus for full price offer" on your listing, the Agent is going to try to get a full price for you (and not try to knock that 3% you are saving off) for their pockets. Remember they work on percentages, the higher the price the more money they make. Look at it as they aren't there to get their buyer the lowest price but there to get them to sign at the highest price they will still sign (buy) at.

Open houses are geared toward Realtors but you never know when a buyer is going to come through the door. Open house tips- stay in one location (foyer?) and let the Realtors come to you. Let them wander the house on their own. You don't need to walk them all through and "sell" them. Watch "Selling LA" or "Selling NY" on HGTV- all of the buyers agents let the sellers agents have run of the house and don't pester them. Another reason for doing this is you are available for the random family that swings by, you want to give them a tour and "sell" them as well as protect them from Realtors trying to poach them from you (try to get them to sign with them to be thier buyers agent). Get some custom Water Bottle Labels and put them in a cooler by the front door on ice, lid open!. That makes an awesome first impression, makes them easy to snag and hopefully while they are looking at other houses; your house will be on their mind with each sip of that refreshing ice cold water (semi-freeze some so they are super cold). It is all about standing out from your competition!!!

Clean your yard up a little more, get a few plants for inside the house. $50 more would make a huge difference. Take mags off back of toilet, hang expensive coat on coat rack by door, etc. Other than that, place looks fantastic.

FYI- I see you are on Zillow but don't see you on the MLS yet.

Questions you need to be ready to answer:

Paid $71K in August 2012, why is it now worth $179K now? Tax record shows $156.5K, why is your house worth more than that? Remember people don't like the word profit and don't like to think people are making more than what is "fair", whatever the heck that is. I could sell you a $1M car for $80K and you would be delighted......until I told you I only paid $50K for it and then your mood is going to change, even though you still got a $1M car for $80K.

Good luck!!
 
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