CHAPTER 4 What Does a FSBO Really Cost? You probably think selling a house yourself will save you a ton of money; and you might be right. Certainly, you’ll save the listing agent’s fee. However, FSBO sellers pay for many things themselves—brochures, pictures, signs—that an agent would pick up as part of their fee. Agents are also great at negotiating HUD-1 settlement fees, which can cost up to 3% of your sale, so you’ll pay less at the closing table. Hey, it’s all money in or out of your pocket. And it’s important to understand and chew on all the money a home sale will cost. Here’s a little worksheet that will help you keep track of the cost of your FSBO sale.
Marketing Costs = $__________________________
Most agents don’t tell you how much money they spend selling your house. But they pay for photographers, listing fees, professional signs, contract development, and access to online listing services. When you sell a property yourself, you pay those fees, which can amount to many thousands of dollars. And don’t forget to factor in the value of your time. You’ll spend scores of hours finding photographers, designing signs and placing them around town, staging rooms, manning open houses, and showing clients the property. Figure out how much your time is worth per hour, then multiply that number by how many hours you’ll spend marketing your home. It all adds up. 20
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