Show and Sell: Selling Your Home Today: A Cautionary Tale

Like so many other things in our world today, the traditional ways of selling real estate have been disrupted and displaced by technology, Traditional 'For Sale by Owner' (FSBO) has changed quite a bit from the days when you put the ubiquitous red and white sign out front. The Multiple Listing Service (MLS) that Realtors depend on hasn't changed much over the years, but technology has enabled new approaches that benefit home sellers and buyers. Homeowners who want to compete and market their for sale by owner homes have low-cost, smarter choices such as flat-fee MLS, which for a small investment can open the door to much greater exposure through MLS listings, Realtor.com, and other websites than traditional for sale by owner ever could. The choice between for sale by owner (FSBO) and using listing/selling real estate brokers in the traditional way is no longer black or white. New middle-ground options make it easier for homeowners to find exactly the right process for themselves. Visionary realty companies now offer flat-fee MLS inclusion, which eliminates expensive commissions and helps to expedite the process, put the power back into the hands of buyers and sellers, and save both parties money. Homeowners have the option to pay zero listing-side commission and very low buyer agent commissions via the flat-fee MLS route. It's truly the smarter way to do for sale by owner! This book examines those choices, and walks you through the selling process from start to finish using the recent, real-life experiences of the author, from early decisions to closing. It, explores the opportunities that are available to buyers and sellers today, and explains how to use the technology that is not only imperative, but comfortable to tech-savvy baby boomers, gen-Xers, and millennials. Of course, the marketing advice and tips in the book are just as pertinent to those who do standard for sale by owner and do not opt for flat-fee MLS. It is indeed a 'Cautionary Tale' due to the many pitfalls and bizarre events that occurred along the way. In conclusion, the author poses the question-is it wise to buy a home at all anymore?