There is a real wave of FSBO properties sweeping the nation. The question that needs to be asked is: "As a buyer should I use a buyer's agent to purchase a FSBO?" And the answer is a resounding "Yes!", Let's look at the situation this way. Sellers who have chosen to sell their homes themselves don't have the selling savvy of a Realtor behind them. Therefore a few assumptions or educated guesses could be made about the property. One should ask whether or not the property is correctly priced for the area and what it is offering. Typically when a Realtor lists a property they perform some careful market comparisons to ensure that the home is correctly priced. This will ensure that the home is competitive and not overpriced.
Another thing that most Realtors will do when listing a home is take a close look at the home itself and let the seller know what should be upgraded or fixed in order to make the home more appealing and to justify the asking price. Now, a seller can easily do this themselves but it is always nice to have a professional opinion in such matters. This brings us to the idea of utilizing a buyer's agent when considering the purchase of a FSBO property. Just like any other property purchase a buyer's agent will do the legwork of arranging the deal, offers and negotiations. Sometimes FSBO negotiations can be more complex than the average real estate transaction as you are dealing directly with the seller who has a personal and emotional stake in the home that is for sale. It is quite easy for emotions to run high during the process and a Realtor or buyer's agent acts as a layer of insulation from this stress.
It can be pretty easy to get caught up in everything that is going on during a real estate sale, especially when dealing with an FSBO sale. As there is no broker involved all dealings have to go through the seller on their own time and under their own conditions. Sometimes these conditions can be somewhat restricting and the last thing you need is to get involved in a sale with a seller who is too emotionally involved in their sale. Let a buyer's agent deal with the transaction and you should find that the whole process is much smoother and stress-free.
Joshua Keen is a real estate agent located in Atlanta, Georgia. The Keen Team specializes in the sale and purchase of Intown Atlanta real estate. When looking for Atlanta MLS Listings, contact Ben and Joshua for the best Atlanta realty services!
