Occasionally, one can see "For Sale By Owner" signs, and some owners think that selling their own home will not only save them money, but believe they have an advantage over the sellers that have their home listed by a reputable Real Estate sales professional. Before you decide to take on this very important and legally complicated process…remember: not even most Real Estate Lawyer’s recommend selling your own home yourself in today’s market. Here are a few of the reasons why:

1. You are limiting your exposure to potential buyers (less than 10% of what a good real estate broker will generate) which theoretically means your home will take ten to fifteen times longer to sell on the market.

2. The longer a home is on the market the lower the selling price is. Why? Because most buyers think that if the home has not sold after this long…there must be something wrong with the home.

3. The selling/buying process begins AFTER the buyer leaves your home. Most sellers think that all it takes is for someone to see their home, fall in love with the great decor… and the offer automatically will follow. Remember that the buying process begins after they leave your home. If a real estate agent does not represent the buyer, and they are looking on their own…they usually leave the home and start to 'talk themselves out' of the buying process. If the buyer is represented by a real estate professional, Realtors© are trained on how to overcome buyers remorse--a very common occurrence.

4. Because of the limited exposure you will very likely end up with a lower selling price. Remember, in order to generate the highest possible selling price for your home you will need the maximum exposure. Sign and newspaper ads alone cannot provide that. Most of today's buyers hire an agent to represent them and rely on MLS information.

5. Most buyers find it extremely awkward to negotiate or even to talk directly with sellers and therefore avoid 'For Sale By Owner properties.

6. Lack of negotiating experience and lack of pertinent information often will result in a lower selling price, or worse yet, a bungled contract and possible lawsuits.

7. The majority of qualified buyers are working with experienced real estate professionals.

8. As most local buyers now retain an experienced real estate sales person to represent them as their buyer-agency, you will probably be negotiating against an experienced professional.

9. Expected savings in broker's fees will also be greatly reduced if you offer a selling commission to entice real estate agents to bring potential buyers.

10. If you are planning to use a Lawyer to help you negotiate the offer, then your lawyer’s fees will be considerably higher.

12. Only real estate agents have access to the up-to-date market information. News reports cannot approach the timeliness or specificity available to agents. Further, real estate agents are involved in home sales much more frequently than the average homeowner is. This familiarity leads to a degree of expertise that provides an edge on negotiating and successful selling.

13. You only pay the commission to the real estate broker, if they successfully sell your home at the price you are happy to accept.

14. Accepting an offer is one thing, ensuring a safe and successful closing is quite another. Real estate transactions occasionally have problems on closing, especially if the agreement has not been properly worded. Expecting the Buyers and Sellers Lawyer’s to fight it out or resolve the problems at the last minute can sometimes mean the deal is lost.