Security is often raised as an issue in FSBO (For Sale By Owner) real estate sales. Some real estate agents try to scare homeowners into listing with them by claiming that it is not safe. Some owners are unsure how to safely display their property.
By taking some sensible precautions, there is no reason why selling your FSBO home should be any less safe than selling through a real estate agent. In fact, selling FSBO should be safer. There is nothing a real estate agent will do to screen buyers that FSBO homeowners cannot do themselves.
What does a real estate agent do?
Estate agents claim that they screen prospective buyers before they visit your property, but what does this mean? Does the real estate agent check if the buyer has a criminal record for violent crimes or theft? Of course not. Ideally, the agent can obtain the buyer’s name, address, and contact number prior to his visit.
Getting a contact number for buyers is easy, just ask when the buyer calls to ask about viewing your property. Before the buyer visits, give them a call to confirm that they are still arriving. This allows you to confirm that the contact number is genuine and also reduces the chance of a no-show.
FSBO ad contact details
It is advisable to limit the amount of information you make available through FSBO online advertising. Some owners include their full name, phone numbers, email address, street address of the property for sale, and the hours they are home. While including this information is not enough to falsify documents like a passport, it is enough to attract unwanted attention from scammers.
A potential buyer only needs to know your name to make a courteous initial contact. It is not necessary to include your last name and titles in your FSBO ad.
Choose an online ad that protects your email address. There are programs that crawl the web looking for published email addresses. If you post your email address in your FSBO ad, you are applying to receive spam.
The best FSBO sites like http://www.smartvendor.com.au have online messaging systems that allow buyers and sellers to communicate online while keeping email addresses private.
When selling your own home, a mobile (cell) phone is invaluable. Not only are homeowners less likely to miss a call from a potential buyer, but a potential burglar can’t cold call the property to check if someone is home.
Open door inspections
We do not recommend holding an open house when selling your property. Open home inspections are difficult to monitor and many buyers find viewing a property with many other buyers unproductive and frustrating.
Real estate agents use open houses as a way to get information about other properties that are for sale. Often the real estate agent will stand in front of a house to make sure buyers get their agency details. But once inside the property, buyers are allowed to wander unsupervised.
Potential thieves can use open door inspections to check security systems and search properties if allowed to roam unsupervised. Don’t provide too many details regarding your home security system to a buyer on their initial visit.
common sense rules
When visiting your property, please follow these common sense rules:
Remove all valuables from the property. Take them offsite preferably in a lockbox. Don’t keep them in a drawer.
Please ensure there are two people on the property at all times. Ask a friend or family member to join you. Only one of you needs to do the visualization.
Keep blinds and curtains open during viewings, this allows people outside to see the property and potentially puts off someone thinking of up to no good.
Showing your property after dark
It is not recommended to allow buyers in for walk-ins and especially if the buyer requests an impromptu visit after dark. Politely explain that you are happy to show your home during the day, when the buyer can fully appreciate your home’s wonderful features. Offer a brochure or information sheet to take away.
FSBO may not be for you
FSBO is not for everyone. To sell your own home, you must be prepared to show prospective buyers the property. If you are not comfortable doing this or feel that your circumstances would make you especially vulnerable, it would be wise to consider using a traditional real estate agent.