As Seen on Re/Max International Times Online Convince FSBOs They Need You Now More Than Ever When approaching homeowners trying to sell their property on their own, Realtors need to be armed with experience and knowledge about why they can sell the home faster and for more money than the sellers can achieve on their own. Part of a successful FSBO listing presentation includes convincing the sellers of this reality. Real estate trainer and speaker Mark Leader offers seven reasons why FSBOs can reach their goals by working with a Realtor. The law of supply and demand says that when demand outpaces supply, you get higher prices. NAR says that the average real estate salesperson works with 10 buyers at any given time. If you have 3,000 members of your local real estate board, that means you have access to 30,000 potential buyers. Thats a lot of demand. The longer a home takes to sell, the more money is lost. Most Realtors are aware of the cost associated with waiting for a listing to sell. They need to explain this cost to FSBO sellers. Buyers only shop FSBOs to save the commission, expecting to pay less for the home. FSBO sellers also want to save the commission money, but how can you save the same money twice? The result will be less money in the sellers pocket. A Realtor can separate the lookers from the buyers. Agents are trained to make sure a buyer has the money, motivation and urgency to purchase a property. Third-party negotiating saves money by removing the emotion from the transaction. Home sellers have a difficult time separating their feelings about their home from the financial reality of negotiations. Marketing strategies available to Realtors will result in more exposure for the property. As more buyers are attracted, demand for the home increases, which results in more money for the seller. Security equals peace of mind for the seller. If the above six reasons did not convince the homeowners to list, then Realtors need to "hit them right between the eyes" with this: "How are you going to determine whether the people knocking on your door are a threat to you or your family?" Plenty of sellers choose to use a Realtor solely because they place importance on the safety and security of their family. Visit the RE/MAX Times Online every week to read new feature articles, top-producer profiles, stories about valuable resources and more. Comment on this story E-mail your thoughts to editor@remax.net. Please include your name, RE/MAX office, city and state. Comments will be added below. Comments (0) Copyright © 2008 RE/MAX International Inc. 9/29/08