Strategies for Selling Your Own Home

There's no question that selling your own home can help you save thousands of dollars. So, it comes as no surprise that a lot of people are trying their luck at selling their own house without having a real estate agent. It makes perfect sense...Home values have dropped so much in last few years that people selling their home cannot reduce the price anymore than they curently have and still manage to pay the real estate agent the conventional 6% fee.

The easy answer would seem to be to eliminate the middle man...the real estate agent. In doing this you save yourself thousands of dollars that you would have to pay in real estate fees and can therefore lower the asking price of your home so that it actually sells.

However, if you are selling your own home then you must start acting like a realtor. There is a good reason that realtors make their commission...because selling a house is hard work! Realtors, at least good ones, work their rear end off to generate a sale. Therefore, if you're selling your own home then you should do the same.

Here are some tips on selling your own home:

1. One of the primary things you should do is get educated on several home selling strategies. Remember, knowledge is power. If you have friends or colleagues that are successful realtors then speak with them. Ask them what methods have worked well for them and what methods were a waste of time and money. Furthermore, become familiar with real estate advertising. Make it a daily practice of reading through real estate ads. Get a feel of how the ads are worded. Search for the keyword phrases which caught your attention.

2. Be realistic. Do not overprice your home. Do some research by looking at the other homes for sale in your neighborhood. What exactly are those homes priced at? Just how do those homes compare to your own house? In today's market, the house that sells is going to be the best home at the best price. Furthermore, make sure to research what homes have already sold in the area. What did those homes sell for and just how do those homes compare to yours?

3. Get ready to do open houses each weekend. Realtors work Saturdays and Sundays and you are now your own real estate agent so get accustomed to working weekends.

4. Keep your house clean! You may even want to hire a maid. Because you will need to show your house on a moments notice it will need to be clean all the time. The last thing you want to do in the current market is turn someone away or put them off until a later date. Have your home in ready-to-show condition everyday.

5. Take advantage of the internet. These days lots of people search for homes using the internet so make sure you are utilizing sites like Craigslist, Realtor.com, YouTube and many others to assist you in selling your own home.

6. Get listed in your local MLS (Multiple Listing Service). One of the greatest disadvantages of selling your own home is that licensed real estate agents are the only ones who are able to place your home in your local MLS, or Multiple Listing Service. This remains the main way homes are sold in the united states. It's estimated that 90% of homes sold are a direct result from an MLS listing. For this reason, if you are selling your own home you should utilize a flat fee MLS service in which you pay a one-time flat fee to have your house listed in your local MLS. These flat rate services differ in cost and in what they offer so make sure to do your research as not all flat rate MLS services are created equal. Some just list your home while others provide lockboxes, "for sale" signs, contract forms, and may even do virual tours and open houses.

Basically selling your own home is not easy. It is hard work...that's why realtors make a commission. Furthermore, while selling your own home can save you thousands of dollars, some of that savings will be necessary for advertising costs, cleaning and maintenance, not to mention listing you house with a flat rate MLS service. In the long run though, if you are prepared to put in the time you can still save yourself thousands of dollars which will enable you to decrease your asking price which will get you increased traffic and ultimately increase your odds of making a sale.

Even if you're selling your own home you should get your home listed in your local MLS if you expect it to sell. If you wish to list your Sarasota real estatein the Mid-Florida Regional MLS for a one-time flat rate then contact uKeepCommission Real Estate for the best flat rate service and pricing anywhere. To find out more go to http://www.uKeepCommission.com or call 941-465-9207.