Getting Started

The decision to sell your home and move into a new one is undoubtedly one of life's biggest amd most important decisions. There are a thousand reasons people decide to move to a new home. Most people begin by getting on their computer and using the Internet to locate information on the area they plan to move to.

At some point they face the question of how they will sell their current home. Will they try to sell it themselves and go the FSBO (For Sale By Owner) route? Or will they hire a professional real estate agent to help them sell their home?

What are the differences between selling your home yourself or hiring a real estate agent to assist you?

In the end, selling your home on your own usually does not save you any significant amount of money, if any. That's due to the fact that hiring a real estate agent to help you sell your house results in the highest possible price you can get as well as the fastest way to locate a qualified buyer.

In the meanwhile, until you make a decision on who you will hire to maket your home, I recommend you do not discuss the following issues with any potential buyers, with me or with any other real estate agents:

• Your reasons for selling
• Your urgency to sell
• Willingness to consider offers below the asking price
• Financing terms you are willing to accept
• Personal property you may be willing to include as part of the sale
• Timing and benefits from your company (if a corporate relocation)
• Any other personal, financial or confidential information that may influence the sale of your home

This will help protect you by keeping your personal information private and prevent damage to your negotiating position. Until you actually hire an agent to represent you, an agent has no obligation to keep your personal information confidential.