Lest the FSBOs be forgotten......

I'm all about helping people.

Throughout my surgical career, I helped thousands of people. I felt a part of a team that healed them, or at least got them on the road to healing. I held the hands of patients who were terrified, I dried the tears of patients who were unsure what was going to happen and I consoled the families of those patients who may have been beyond help.

It's this skill that has proved most useful in my real estate career. I have often offered to help FSBO (For Sale By Owner) property owners with paperwork or answer questions. They might not end up using my services (translated = paying me for the work I do), but I know that the best thing that could come of helping FSBOs is that they spread a GOOD rumor about me and my company. So I wanted to give some advice to those people who believe they are "saving money" by selling their home on their own.

Just the facts: An average of 48 people in 7 areas of expertise are involved in a real estate transaction. There are an average of 8 different disclosures and addenda that are required in certain transactions in the state of Florida. There are certain timelines and deadlines that MUST be followed in a standard real estate contract to ensure that no one party suffers financial consequences. A standard Florida real estate contract that provides for the most protection of each party to the transaction is 7 pages long not including the aforementioned disclosures and addenda. I have counted an average of 178 seperate phone calls involved in the standard real estate transaction - and that's when everything goes right.

If you're considering putting your own "For Sale" sign in your yard, ask yourself if you have the time and expertise to monitor everything I've just mentioned. Would you know what to do if the appraisal comes in short? Would you be able to review your own contract and ensure that you have been protected financially if something goes wrong? Do you have the time to follow up with all the realtors who have shown your property, follow up on the status of buyer financing, follow up on the home inspection and list of repairs?

The bottom line is that good agents do all of the above as a (more than) full-time job and we already know what problems can arise. There are over 190 different things that can go wrong in a real estate transaction.

If you're a FSBO, chances are real estate is not your profession. So, if you needed to have your appendix removed, would you try to do it yourself just because you found instructions on the internet? No. You'd hire a professional and you wouldn't base your decision to hire a professional on what fee they charge. This may seem like an outrageous analogy, but your home is one of your most important assets and if you decide to take on selling your home yourself, you are subject to the same laws and regulations that licensed professionals are. Did you know you can be sued for up to 5 years following the closing of a real estate transaction? It sure pays to know that everything was done by the book.

I'm not trying to scare anyone - these are the facts. A recent poll surveyed people who have sold their homes on their own (FSBOs) and a staggering 87% said they would NEVER try it again! It's worth the peace of mind to hire a professional to represent one of the most important business transactions many people make in their lifetime.

Agents like me are here to help. To hold your hand through a potentially stressful experience. To advise you on the best course of action. To tell you what to expect. To look out for your best interests. To care.