NAR (r) Broker Will Swear It – Real Pro ‘Agents Share It – FSBO "Truth"
By posting the “Truth” on your website, some FSBOs will not like it. These prospects wouldn’t have listed with you anyway. For sale by homeowners, who can get good advice, will appreciate your courage and celebrate having your home listed.
Sometimes the “Truth” hurts. However, being scammed, raped, or even worse, hurts so much more. Ask any police officer if home sellers should open their doors wide to strangers. Better yet, ask how often FSBOs cry to law enforcement after being mugged, mugged, or put in danger by people posing as home buyers.
Since many agents, in an attempt to appear professional, are reluctant to tell prospects the whole heinous truth, too many FSBOs are not properly informed of the very real risks they are taking. In an effort to put the safety of others ahead of a personal profit motive, you can be sure that you, a true “professional,” have done the right thing.
It is absolutely the right of the owner to sell his own home, without the help of a real estate agent. However, most of the time, the dominant spouse says, “We can sell our house ourselves, honey, without paying any real estate commission. We will need those extra dollars by the time we move in.”
No thoughts about danger are realistically recognized.
Rather, the man says, “I’ll go find the For Sale by Owner sign. You write the ad for the newspaper. We’ll save thousands by selling this way!”
Your obedient, yet apprehensive companion places the advertisement, is supposed to answer the phone, makes appointments for supposedly interested prospects to come and see the “For Sale” property. She wants to be sure that her husband is home with her when people come to see her home. If that’s not always possible, chances are you are aware enough of the inherent evil that lurks that you will try to see it as a friend.
Soon, the parade of the unskilled begins. These are the curious “Lookie-Lews.” People come to the FSBO house, eager for their own reasons, not all of which are honorable. For thieves, it is “all against all”. For the real canny shoppers, “It’s Bonanza!” Unfortunately, “Little Joe” Cartwright is not there to protect the interests of the settler.
Every year dozens of real estate agents are kidnapped, robbed, raped and murdered. The NAR®, the National Association of Realtors® continually advises its own members to be vigilant and be careful who they work with. The “truth” is: When selling by owners you can’t be too careful …
