You're considering selling your home, and taking the FSBO route has sparked your interest. You assume that handling things on your own will save you time and money and wonder how hard it really could be when information and advice are at your fingertips, thanks to Google.

In this blog, we'll address some of these misconceptions and explain why working with a real estate professional is crucial for a faster, easier, and all-around more enjoyable experience. Here are five reasons why you may want to reconsider FSBO.

#1. Time

Experienced agents will tell you that selling a home is a full-time job – because it is. A lot goes into it, from staging and listing to marketing and showing, to negotiating, examining offers, and so much more. Each step will take you longer to execute simply because this is all new for you. And the longer your home is on the market, the less money it will sell for.

The National Association of Realtors found that homes sold through the Multi-Listing Service sold 20 days faster on average, and 20% of FSBO listings had to renew their listing on the MLS because they didn't sell.

Don't be led astray by the misconception that selling yourself will save you time in the end because that couldn't be further from the truth. Working with a real estate professional will give you a far better chance at a quick and easy sale.

#2. Money

Another popular misconception about FSBO is that it will save you money. In most cases, this is actually not true at all. In fact, one of the most appealing reasons to work with a listing agent is that they don't charge anything upfront to list your home. That means if they are to spend hundreds of dollars and your home doesn't sell, they are out hundreds of dollars – not you.

Here are a few of the costs you'll have to consider if you choose to sell your home without an agent.

Hiring a photographer

Marketing (signs, ads, website listings, etc.)

Real estate lawyer (legal protection)

Home inspections and surveys

Sales contract

Home warranty

Closing costs

Many people also think that they will save money on commission, but UpNest does an excellent job of putting this rumor to rest.

"On average, homes sold by agents get $295,000 compared to $217,900 for FSBO. When you find the right agent, they will price your property to get the most money in the shortest time, a combination that can mean 10-30% more net profit. When you are hoping to save 1.5-3% on a listing commission, you should take that into consideration."

#3. Marketing

Currently, 97% of buyers search for their homes online (Zippia) – which makes marketing an essential part of the sales process. If prospective buyers aren't seeing your home in the search, how will they know it exists? You're probably thinking, "I can post it on social media, tell all of my friends, or even purchase a newspaper ad," but doing any (or all) of these things won't get you the same exposure you'd get from working with an experienced real estate agent.

For example, agents at The Masiello Group have a handful of different methods for marketing your home.

Personal Social Media Accounts: Every good agent knows the power behind social media and will use their own reputable accounts to market your listing.

Personal Website: Most agents have their own website used to market themselves as well as their listings.

Network of Clients: One of the best benefits of working with a seller's agent is the network of clients that they already have in their back pocket! They could know just the buyer looking for everything your home has to offer.

Brokerage Social Media Accounts: The Masiello Group's social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and TikTok) feature many of the homes listed by its agents.

Brokerage Website: All homes listed by agents from The Masiello Group are featured on our website.

As you can probably expect, real estate marketing done right takes time. But it also takes an established network of buyers – which you won't have if you aren't working with an agent.

#4. Liability

Because you aren't a licensed professional, you might make mistakes along the way. This is not to say that real estate agents can't make the same mistakes, but if they do, they are actually protected by something called Errors and Omissions Insurance. This covers them in case they are to make a small mistake in a contract. On the other hand, if you do – which is far more likely having little to no experience — you could be liable to pay for that mistake. It's important not to be naive that people are more likely to look for and catch these mistakes when you sell on your own.

#5. Lack of Experience

Real estate is a full-time job. And while you may have done extensive research on the process and what it could require, it's a simple fact that you don't know what you don't know – and three key groups of people will recognize that.

Real Estate Agents: When you choose to sell your home yourself, you are telling real estate agents that you don't see the value in what they do. Unfortunately, this may make it more difficult for them to work with you. Because they control the buyer/offer and have more experience than you do, they have the power to point out areas where you have made mistakes – like pricing of the home. They also will see you as an easy target for negotiation because you don't have as much experience doing it.

Another reason real estate agents may be wary of working with you is that they know the dangers of emotional sales. There is a good chance, in one way or another, you will have biased opinions about the value and/or pricing of your home because you know and love it.

Low Ballers: Unfortunately, prospective buyers see FSBOs as inexperienced and, many times, won't hesitate to take advantage where they see it possible. They might assume you won't know the difference between a reasonable and unreasonable offer and shoot you a lowball. Real estate agents make it their goal to get you the offer you deserve and won't settle for less!

Unqualified Buyers: A major advantage of working with an agent is that they are able to save you a large amount of time by simply pointing you in the direction of qualified buyers. Unqualified buyers are people just browsing for fun, aren't sure if they are even ready to buy a home yet, etc. Essentially, they are people that are very likely not to end up buying your home, and FSBO homes definitely attract them.

In conclusion, real estate agents know this process inside and out because they do it every single day! They know how to navigate the good, bad, and ugly, and truly want to see you succeed. With their help, you can offer up the dirty work, focusing all of your energy on your big move! Real estate agents at The Masiello Group would love to help you meet your real estate goals. Reach out to our team and find an agent you love in your northern New England community.

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The Masiello Group is a second-generation family company that has been a trailblazer in New England real estate since 1966. With now more than 35 offices throughout northern New England, we're the largest residential real estate firm north of Boston to offer a complete suite of home services, including buying, selling, mortgage, title, insurance, relocation, and more.

You can find more information on today's market and other real estate trends by reading our blog weekly at https://www.masiello.com/news-and-updates/.