Should I sell my home myself and save money?

This is a very common questions that comes to a seller's mind. Obviously, the idea is to save money in commission paid and pocket more money. Given the legal maize of documentation, disclosure requirements, contingencies, loan approval, time-lines, marketing, showing efforts, negotiations and more, this is a huge undertaking and not for every home seller. One wrong move can haunt you in a lost sale or a lawsuit. Besides, your Realtor usually does not make a penny until your house is sold. Therefore, it is wise to let a professional Realtor undertake the sale of your home. It's worth it.

Now, let's take a look at some statistics of FSBO (For Sale by Owner) to reveal surprising information:

FSBOs accounted for 9% of home sales in 2010. The typical FSBO home sold for $140,000 compared to $199,300 for agent-assisted home sales.

FSBO Methods Used to Market Home:

Listing on Internet . . . 27%

• For-sale-by-owner Web site . . . 11%
• Yard sign . . . 46%
• Friends/neighbors . . . 39%
• Newspaper ad . . . 12%
•  

• Open house . . . 14%

Most Difficult Tasks for FSBO Sellers:

• Getting the right price . . . 23%
• Preparing/fixing up home for sale: 18%
• Selling within the planned length of time: 14%
• Having enough time to devote to all aspects of the sale: 13%
• Understanding and performing paperwork: 10%

http://www.realtor.org/libweb.nsf/pages/fg006#topicc

Source: 2006 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers