FSBO Methods Used to Market Home:
Yard Sign . . . 63%
Friends/neighbors . . . 25%
Newspaper ad . . . 44%
Open House . . . 33%
Internet . . . 24%

Most Difficult Tasks for FSBO Sellers:
Getting the right price . . . 24%
Understanding paperwork . . . 22%
Preparing/fixing up home for sale . . . 24%
Attracting potential buyers . . . 10%
Having enough time to devote to all aspects of the sale . . . 5%

Source: 2004 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Homebuyers and Sellers  

 THE 10 FACTORS MOST LIKELY TO INFLUENCE YOUR SALE:

There are, of course, many items which influence a sale. Look upon the following as a checklist of items which will bring you closer to a sale. Every item on which you are unwilling or unable to make a concession moves you further away from a sale. Just remember whose side you are on!

1. Price the property between WHOLESALE and RETAIL.

2. Be willing to consider offers based on VA/FHA terms. Government terms give many buyers a head start on the ability to afford a home.

3. Allow the property to be shown with or without an appointment! That's a nuisance, but it's not as bad as being on the market for 6 months!.

4. Please be gone whenever a prospective buyer, accompanied by a Realtor, wants to see the house--and STAY gone until they're gone! Buyers need to "try it on for size", but they can't do that as long as you are there.

5. Eliminate any barrier to the free flow of traffic in the property. Such items as bulky or extra furniture; house plants that stick into traffic ways; toys or clothes not put away; and beds not made, etc., slow down traffic and make rooms look smaller and darker.

6. Watchdogs that provide so much security that no one can see the property without a death wish are a problem.

7. Your Realtor is on your side and won't get paid until YOU GET RESULTS. Advice from a professional is useless unless you take it!

8. Look at the front of your house. Size it up objectively and critically (that's asking a LOT of any home owner!). Ask yourself this question: if a buyer pulled up in front, would the appearance pull them inside?


9. Make any and all recommended improvements with an eye toward neutral marketing--be aware of unusual colors or styles which might clash with a prospective buyer's taste.

10. Be willing to consider ANY offer at anytime. Remember, you are always the final judge of what's accepted and what's not!