How Private Sale works

Today, over 80% of all buyers begin their home search on the internet, so it's not surprising that more and more people are choosing to sell privately instead of using a real estate agent. The main reason people are flocking to sell Privately is simple - it can save them alot of money.

The private sale concept makes sense. By removing the agent from the sales process, you can avoid paying commission when your house sells. While it might involve a little more leg work on your part, the money you can save makes it well worth the effort.

When you decide to sell privately there are many obstacles that stand in your way. The "For Sale By Owner" companies may not tell you what you need to know. One thing you have to keep in mind before you pay them any money based on their claims like; Sell your home for 0 Commission, No Commissions, etc., is that they are privately owned companies, they can make any claims they want, whether they are accurate or not. They don't have to prove those claims are accurate to anyone.

They all claim that their customers all sell with 0% commission. Yes, this may happen on occasion, but more often then not, it was a a licenced Realtor that actually brought the buyer. In this instance they didn't have to pay a commission to a "listing" Realtor, But they did pay a commission to a "Buyers" Realtor. They won't let you know about those instances but on their websites or in their magazines they will show them as "Sold with no Commissions"

Many of these "For Sale by Owner" listings just don't get enough exposure in the marketplace and don't get enough people seeing that their house is for sale. The truth is that the MLS and Realtor.ca provides exposure to the most serious buyers, well beyond what any other medium can provide. Alot of the homes seen on the for sale by owner websites and magazines can also be tracked back and seen on the MLS. The majority of these listings end up getting a realtor and being placed on the MLS after a few weeks of no action when trying to sell by owner. 

Also keep in mind that most serious buyers are very apprehensive about buying a home directly from the home owner. Most buyers have never made such a large purchase before so they want to be represented either by a Professional Realtor or a Lawyer. The ones that are comfortable with buying direct are usually looking for a "Deal" and will lowball the offer knowing that the owner isn't paying commissions.

We aren't telling you all this to scare you away from selling privately, we are just trying to inform you as to the pitfalls you may come across. We get alot of listings coming from people that have previously or are currently trying to "Sell by Owner".

One other thing you should consider about these companies is that some may offer "Money Back Guarantees". Please read the guarantee thoroughly. We have received a number of complaints about these companies from people that have become our clients and were previously trying to "Sell by Owner". The guarantees they offer are very difficult to follow in order to get any money refunded. Please read all the fine print and ask questions. 

Many of our clients have sold their homes with little or no commissions. We are more than happy to help you in any way we can. If you are still adamant about selling you home strictly by owner, we would be happy to post your listing on our website free of charge.