January 25, 2022
Posted by: Saman Saba
Category: FSBO

9 Tips When Showing Your Home as an FSBO

Have you found a prospective buyer on your For Sale By Owner (FSBO) home already? If you have, good for you! However, your job is not done yet. You still need to show your home to turn that prospective buyer into an actual buyer. Remember, having a prospective buyer does not guarantee that your house will be sold right away. They can still back out once they see your house in person.

So, to secure that prospective buyer, you have to make sure that your home showings are successful. Fortunately for you, we’ve listed some tips on how you can make it successful and stress-free. Here are the things you can do when you show your FSBO home to your prospective buyer:

Tip #1: Vet The Prospective Buyer

As soon as a prospective buyer inquires about your home, the first thing you will want to do is vet them to ensure that they are in fact a true buyer. This is because the truth is, there are many nosey neighbors or people with bad intentions who pose as buyers. As such, one of the very first things you will want to do before you even show the property is to have them email you a pre-approval letter from their lender or a proof of funds document, if they are a cash buyer.

Tip #2: Be Accommodating To The Buyer Schedule

As an FSBO home seller, you have to ensure that you are available whenever there’s a buyer interested to see your home. We understand that you can be busy at work. However, home showings shouldn’t take up more than 30 minutes to 1 hour of your day. Keep in mind that an unseen home is a house that is not purchased. Showing the home you’re selling is one great way to score an offer.

It is important to be accommodating to the buyers schedule because they could be buyers that are only in town on a given day and will only be in your neighborhood at a given time. It is important to try to be as accommodating as possible to their schedule because if they can’t get in to tour your home at their requested time, there is a chance that they won’t come back to your neighborhood just to see your home when it is convenient to you. In fact, it has happened on more than one occasion when I am working with a buyer and when the seller cannot accommodate the showing, the buyer finds another home they like and they just proceed with the other home rather than come back for a showing to your home.

Tip #3: Don’t: Reveal Too Much About Your Situation

It is important to inform potential buyers about your home. However, it is important to not reveal too much information about your personal circumstances regarding what is prompting the move. This is because this insider information could give buyers leverage.

For example, if you tell a buyer that you’re moving because you’re getting a divorce, they’ll know you’re under pressure and they may give you a low-ball offer.

Of course, you don’t need to lie if a buyer asks about why you’re moving. Just tell the prospective buyers that it’s time for you to start a new chapter and try to keep your answers vague.

Tip #4: Don’t: Have Pets Around

Although some prospective buyers might love the idea of being greeted by your furry friend, for others, it could be a major turn-off. Not to mention, there are also liability issues in case your pet becomes aggressive with the prospective buyer. This is why it is important to arrange for your pets to be out of the house during showings. If you can’t find anyone to take care of your pet, the next best option is to keep them in a contained space and let the buyer know of its presence ahead of time.

Tip #5: Always Show Your House with a Companion

When showing your home as an FSBO, one of the most important things you have to keep in mind is not to show your home by yourself. Always have a companion with you, may it be a close friend or family member. This tip is essential for your safety. You can ensure safety and accountability if you do your home showings with someone concerned for your well-being.

Tip #6: Don’t Leave Valuables Out

Even though you might be inclined to want to believe that prospective buyers won’t steal anything from you, its best to be safe than sorry and to just make sure that any valuables are hidden and out of sight. Be sure to put away all jewelry, medication, passports, phone, laptops, bank statements and other financial information.

Tip #7: Consider Hosting Open Houses

Let’s say you haven’t found a prospective buyer yet. In that case, why not host an open house? An open house is a scheduled period in which your home is available for viewing by many potential buyers. It’s like putting your home on the market with a pool of customers. It’s definitely a great way to catch your own prospective buyer. Just make sure you have extra pens, calling cards, or listing fliers available, and be on your feet to answer all of their questions about your property.

Tip #8: Don’t Skimp On Heating Or Cooling

If you are showing a home in the summer, be sure to have the air conditioned turned on and if you are showing in the winter, be sure to have the heat turned on. You’ll want to make sure that the home is at a comfortable temperature because otherwise, a prospective buyer may want to hurry along the showing just to get out or worse, the potential buyers might start questioning the integrity of the insulation, windows and HVAC systems. At the end of the day, its not a good idea to try and save some money on your electric bill when you are trying to sell your home as a for sale by owner.

Tip #9: Be Enthusiastic When Showcasing Your Home

You can turn that prospective buyer into an actual buyer if you talk affectionately about your well-loved home. You can easily convince them that your home is the perfect house to live in if they see that you are enthusiastic or happy when talking about your home. If you sound bitter or describe the place as a money-pit full of terrible memories, you can expect that your guests will feel uncomfortable, and worse, they will not call you back to buy your property. Of course, you have to be honest even if there are no good memories in there, but find a way to showcase your home with affection.

Conclusion

Finding a potential buyer for your FSBO home is already challenging. But, it’s even more nerve-wracking when it’s time to show your home because that can be the main factor in turning that potential buyer into an actual buyer. So, you have to ensure that your home showings will be stress-free, convenient, and memorable for prospective buyers so that you can score a good offer and remove your home from the market.

How Can We Help You?

If you are interested in selling as a For Sale By Owner, you’re in the right place.Get the legal assistance you need to sell your FSBO property. Saman Saba is a real estate attorney in Maryland working to empower real estate sellers and buyers so that they may make better and more informed decisions regarding one of their most important assets: their residential properties.

In an effort to help you successfully sell your property as a For Sale By Owner, we have prepared a FREE FSBO Success Packet which includes:

An in depth explanation of our flat-fee pricing model and exactly which services are included.
A complimentary copy of Saman’s bestselling book, Sell Your Home With Confidence: Reduce Your Liability When Selling, FSBO EDITION which goes into depth regarding what steps a FSBO seller should take when selling their property.
A complimentary viewing of a 30-minute Masterclass entitled, Home Equity Protection: How To Not Be Bamboozled When Selling which highlights the main ways that home sellers can leave thousands of dollars on the table when selling.
And so much more!

Click here to access the FREE FSBO Success Packet.

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