The information in this For Sale By Owner Help Kit is designed to "assure" a quick and successful sale of your home. There is no cost or obligation to you.

The recommendations and checklists in the program are the result of years of experience helping owners sell and move. I offer it to you based on my Core Value of "Get by Giving." Studies show that more than 7 out of 10 owners eventually choose a Realtor to help them sell, or to help their buyer purchase.

BY OFFERING YOU SOMETHING OF VALUE, I BELIEVE THAT YOU WILL CALL ON ME WHEN YOU AND/OR YOUR BUYER NEED PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE.

Following is a list of what you will find in this package:

Writing Effective Ads

Tips on how to make the phone ring with more buyer calls. Like supply and demand, the more buyers you have for something, the more it could sell for.

Advertising Budget Planner

Rate sheet for planning local advertising. How to calculate total ad costs based on average market time and weekly rates.

Answering Inquiries

Tips on how to convert ad calls, sign calls and internet inquiries into showings.

Preparing Your Home For Showing And Sale

Tips on how to present your home in the best light to prospective buyers; and information to have ready to answer buyer questions.

The Guest Registry

How to keep track of who sees your home, so that you can follow up and capture that "right" buyer; also, security considerations.

Pricing Strategy Analysis

A series of questions designed to help you arrive at an attractive market price.

Vendors To Call

A list of who you will need to call to complete a sale; what each vendor does for you; and the one most important question to ask of each vendor to assure quality service.

Caveats

List of things to look out for to avoid legal entanglements.

Home Buying Analysis

An overview of the services I provide for buyers, in the event you decide you would like me to help your buyer, or to help you when you purchase your next home.

Three Facts Every For Sale By Owner Should Know

Sample Forms A sample purchase agreement (please consult an attorney or Realtor before using any purchase agreement) and a sample net sheet to estimate your net proceeds from a sale.

Writing Effective Ads:

1. List all of the best features of your home and pick the top 5.
2. Use an attention getting opening statement about the home.
3. Less is more. Include some facts about the house (bedrooms, baths, price, etc.) but keep it brief.
4. Use words that appeal to all of the senses.
5. Focus your copy on the items on your top five list.
6. Avoid exaggerating the features of your home that you like best, as they may not be the features the buyer likes best.
7. Include your name, phone number, email address and website.
8. Use photos to show the best feature of the house vs. the standard front shot.
9. End with a call to action, “For a private showing, call 801-555-1234 today.”
10. According to the Newspaper Association of America, here are the top things a buyer wants to know about a property:

·               Location

·               Price

·               Type or style

·               Square footage

·               Bedrooms

·               Bathrooms

·               Lot size

·               Amenities

·               Garage size 

Answering Inquiries:

1.  To generate more inquiries, don’t put everything about your property in the ad. This gives the reader a reason to call and find out more.

2.  Remember your objective in handling inquiries is to cause the caller to want to see the house. You can’t sell a house over the phone.

3. If you are running an ad in the paper, make sure you are available to handle inquiries during peak response times, especially evening and weekends. Always put your phone number on your yard sign, so that drive-by shoppers know how to contact you for showings. If you are running an ad on the internet, respond to email inquiries with an invitation to call for a showing appointment.

4.  Always thank the person for calling about your house. It’s a polite and friendly way to start a conversation.

5.  Always trade names with the caller, and ask for their phone number, so that you have a record of who inquired for follow up.

6.  The caller will usually ask you questions about your house right at the beginning of the call. Always give a direct answer to a direct question, and then, to keep the conversation going, ask a probing question of your own.

Example

Q: How many bedrooms does your house have?

A: We have three bedrooms. How many were you looking for?

7. Invite questions from the caller by asking, “What can I tell you about the house?”

8. Before agreeing to an appointment for a showing, always ask the caller, “Have you been pre-qualified by a lender in my price range?” This will avoid getting tied up in a contract with a buyer who cannot afford your home.

9. Before agreeing to a showing, always ask the caller if they have to sell their present home first in order to buy yours. Studies show that 7 out of 10 buyers are really lookers who cannot buy until their home is sold, and their home isn’t even on the market yet.

PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR SHOWING AND SALE

Set the asking price comparable to similar homes in your area which have sold recently.

Secure all necessary legal documents and use them to protect yourself from fraud.

Both the purchase and lender will require satisfactory proof that you have a good title to the property.

Buyers and lenders will want a satisfactory survey including all easements, rights of way and encroachments.

Have current tax information available.

Have all warranties on roof and appliances available.

Check your property with a critical eye. Buyers will look for faults which could cost them money to remedy.

Clean up, fix up and paint. You have only one chance to make a good first impression, so lavish time, money and energy on curb appeal.

Rearrange the furniture to create the most open space. If you have “too much?” furniture, remove some and store it. Six very important words: no clutter, no clutter, no clutter!

Keep the house immaculate at all times, since showings are not scheduled events. Remember that you are competing against professionally decorated builder’s model homes. Pay particular attention to the bathrooms and the kitchen. In the bathrooms, towels should be fresh and clean, sinks and baths scrubbed, and the floor freshly cleaned. In the kitchen, make sure all dishes are put away and countertops and sinks cleaned.

Turn off the TV. Turn on soft music. Build a fire in the fireplace. Open the shades and turn on the lights. Check the thermostat to make sure that the house is at a comfortable temperature.

Keep children and pets out of the way during showings.

Get every buyer’s name and phone number for follow up. Almost no one buys a home on the first visit.

Give all family members assigned jobs in advance that will go into action when a short-notice showing is scheduled. Everyone must know their duties and carry them out, so that you don't end up banging into one another trying to get everything done quickly.

Open every window covering. All drapes, curtains and blinds should be positioned to let in maximum light. Buyers like a house to be "light and bright," so accommodate them! Turn on as many lights as possible.

Make sure the house smells good. Baking cookies, often recommended, may be overdoing it, but pet odors, smoke, or greasy cooking odors definitely will not work! Air out the house just before the scheduled showing, but close the windows (unless it is a perfect day) before they arrive.

Make sure Fact Sheets are available and easily accessible. (The dining room table is an ideal place for them).

If you are using an Agent, leave!  If this is not possible, make yourself as inconspicuous as possible. If it is comfortable outside, go there until the buyers leave. If you are selling on your own, of course, you don't have this luxury. If this is the case, be as helpful as you can but don't crowd the buyers.

PRICING STRATEGY:

1.  Is the local market rising, falling or staying even?

                        RISING                       FALLING                    STAYING EVEN

2.  Is my opinion of value based on actual neighborhood sale prices?

                        YES                             NO

3.  How many homes in the area are competing against mine right now? _______

4.  How does mine compare?

                        PLUS                           MINUS                       EVEN

5.  Have any neighborhood homes been on the market too long?

                        YES                             NO

      If YES, Why?

                        PRICE             CONDITION              OTHER

6.  Is my home consistent with larger or smaller homes in the surrounding area?

                        LARGER                     SMALLER

7.  Are my financial needs influencing my asking price?

                        YES                             NO

8. Is my original purchase price influencing my asking price?

                        YES                             NO

9. Am I willing to price it right and stand firm?

                        YES                             NO

10.  Are the benefits of moving important enough to price my home at market value?

                        YES                             NO

VENDORS TO CALL

Home Inspection

Home Warranty

Title Insurance

Mortgage Lender

Surveyor

Appraiser (if not using a Realtor)

Termite Company

Repairs For The House

DISCLAIMER: The vendors on this list are provided as a convenience to my clients. No warranty or guarantee is made or implied.

THREE FACTS FOR EVERY FOR SALE BY OWNER


Fact #1           

Real Estate brokerage has been part of our society, and sellers have been paying full brokerage commissions, for over 200 years.

Would you agree that nothing lasts that long in our society unless there is real value? 

Would you agree that Sellers wouldn’t have been paying Realtors for their services for over 200 years unless Realtors were worth more than they were charging?

Fact #2

7 out of 10 owners end up having to choose a Broker to help them sell, or having to change their plans, sometimes when it is too late to save them from costs they could have avoided.

Would you be curious to know why?

Fact #3

As a licensed Realtor, I can generally sell a house for more money than a private owner can; and I can generally sell it in less time.

Would you be curious to know how?

I would be happy to share with you the six reasons how and why these three facts are true. There is no cost or obligation to you. Call me and let's arrange a time to get together.

PLEASE NOTE THE FORMS NEEDED FOR SELLING REAL ESTATE:  Consult your attorney or Realtor before using any of these forms. Many of them are copyrighted.

1.  Real Estate Purchase Contract (REPC) & Addendum

2.  Buyer Due Diligence Checklist

3.  Seller's Property Condition Disclosures

4.  Multiple Offers Disclosure & Addendum

5.  Lead-Based Paint Disclosure & Addendum

6.  FHA/VA Loan Addendum

7.  Secondary "Back-Up" Contract Addendum

8.  Buyer Financial Information Sheet

9.  For Sale By Owner Commission Agreement & Agency Disclosure

10. Other Miscellaneous Forms...(not listed)

• Seller’s Disclosures completed
• Escrow account set up
• Use a legal purchase/sale agreements
• Use the services of a reputable a Title/Escrow Company
• Pull all permits for buyers to review
• Follow all rules for signage and marketing (applicable in HOA's & on City streets)
• Make clear in writing what is and is not included
•  Have survey done (not always necessary)
•  Maintain consistent/regular communication with all parties involved
• Avoid discrimination
• Make an inspection mandatory
• Invest in a home warranty
• Document all communication in writing
• Hire an attorney who specializes in real estate
• Keep all documents

 * If this seems like a tedious list of things to do, please consider hiring a licensed and professional Realtor who specializes in handling all of the complexities of selling Real Estate.