FSBO Recommendation: Use A Realtor To List Or Buy A Home

I had the opportunity recently to list and sell a house and the sellers in turn bought another house. This is nothing new in the Charlotte, NC. real estate market or any other market out there. That is after all what we as Realtors do. Help clients sell homes and purchase homes. However; after getting done with all the negotiations and closing on both homes (not an easy task to do some mortgage issues from the buyer) my clients sent me a handwritten personal thank you note. I was touched and moved by it. They mention how grateful they were for the hard work and all the service I provided them.... I called and thanked them for the kind words and they mentioned that they had a confession to make. Here it comes I thought. What did I do or not do? Both transactions are now running through my mind. They said they were reluctant to list their home with a Realtor and were actually going to try and sell their home on their own as a For Sale By Owner (or FSBO) and look online and buy a house on their own either through a FSBO or the listing agent. But instead they hired me to list their home and help them locate and buy their new home... So, naturally my question to them was why? And what made you decide to use me? They had looked extensively online at comparable through the various websites out there but could not tell how accurate the information was. So, they decided to interview a few Realtors and see what they came up with for a price and use that as their price point and save the commission. I was one of the Realtors they chose. When I explained in detail my extensive marketing plan and the services I offered them at no additional charge and with no long term commitment they said they were impressed. So, they hired me. Now, because they agreed to let me list the home for them. I structured together a very specific marketing plan for them and executed it. In the manner of two weeks we had 10 showings and multiple offers. We ended up getting over asking price for the house and $10,000 more than they would have accepted if they sold it on their own. In the heat of negotiations I pointed out things on each offer that could be negative for them and they made a decision based on that information as to which offer they accepted. On the buy side, we looked at a few homes and got into negotiations on one house. After finally agreeing to a price we went through the inspections and I negotiated out the repairs for them on both ends of the deal. This they said saved them money that they would have just agreed to do the repairs and accepted the house on the other end if the sellers said no... When it came to price I was able to point out things about the house that brought the value down and needed addressing in terms of updates and how homes comparable to that one had sat longer and sold for less money...Both instances saved them money. We got closer to closing and the buyer needed more time because of the mortgage lender issue...I was able to negotiate an extension with the house they were buying on their end and save them from losing their earnest money and due diligence fee...Another win for them. In the end he told me on the phone when they went back and did the math; they figured I saved them anywhere from $15,000 to $18,000 between both transactions. This form someone who apparently bought his last house as a FSBO and sold his that way as well...But he said going through this transaction and seeing all that you do made me better appreciate you and your profession for what you do. I would never again consider buying or selling a house without a Realtor. It takes to much time and is more complicated than I thought it would be..... From a former FSBO his parting words were. If you are thinking of buying or selling a home on your own. Do not do it. A Realtor is worth their commission tenfold for the expert advice and guidance you will receive.. Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker Coldwell banker United Cell:704-519-7895 ddicecco@cbunited.com www.davedicecco.com