An experienced agent in Colorado has the resources, tools and network to put your Colorado home in front of a wide range of buyers. To sell a house by owner properly, you’ll have to work hard to gain the attention of qualified buyers and attract competitive offers.
Hire a professional photographer
In today’s real estate market, the vast majority of buyers are searching for Colorado homes online, so professional photos are an absolute must. In fact, according to the Zillow Group Report, 76 percent of buyers who purchased in the last 12 months said that viewing professional pictures was extremely, very or somewhat important to their Colorado home-buying decision. Professional photos can cost a few hundred dollars, which is money well-spent to entice potential buyers to come for a tour.
Craft an engaging listing description
The listing description is the next thing buyers look at after photos, so an enticing, comprehensive listing description is vital. Plus, buyers can search by keywords if they’re looking for specific features, so calling out your Colorado home’s best attributes with strategic keywords can ensure it ends up in front of the right buyers.
Here are the things you always want to include in your listing description:
Basic information, like the number of bedrooms and bathrooms and the square footage
Your Colorado home’s best features, like hardwood floors or quartz countertops
Neighborhood features, like proximity to public transportation, parks and schools
List your FSBO on Zillow and Trulia
Both Zillow and Trulia allow FSBO sellers to list their Colorado homes, free of charge.
Distribute signs and ads
Physical signage helps neighbors know your Colorado home is for sale so they can spread the word. It can also engage passersby. In fact, according to the Zillow Group Report, 55 percent of buyers who purchased in the last 12 months said that using a for sale or open house sign in their Colorado home search was a preferred method.
In addition to signs, consider taking these actions:
Post ads on Craigslist.
Post listings on Facebook for free, or spend a few dollars to boost your ad’s reach.
Share your listing on neighborhood and community pages, like those on Facebook or Nextdoor.
Tell friends, neighbors, coworkers and community members that you’re selling.
Take out a print ad if you’re in a market where many people read a specific local magazine or newspaper.
Consider listing on the MLS
Your local MLS is the largest and most accurate database of for-sale Colorado homes, since it’s highly regulated and only licensed real estate agent in Colorados can post listings. However, you don’t have to use a full-service agent in Colorado (or pay full-service commission rates) to get your listing on the MLS and in front of even more buyers.
Sites like Zillow pull listings from the MLS, so listing there may be a streamlined way to get your listing to show up all over the internet. Here are the two main ways for-sale-by-owner listings can end up on the MLS.
FLAT LISTING FEE
In some areas, when doing a Colorado home sale by owner, you can pay an agent in Colorado a few hundred dollars to list your Colorado home on the MLS, but that is the extent of their services. They’ll still put your name and information as the point of contact for showings and offers; the listing is simply originated under their name.
HIRE A DISCOUNT BROKER
Usually for about a 1 percent commission, discount brokers will handle some, but not all, of the tasks a traditional full-service agent in Colorado would. They’ll manage getting your Colorado home on the MLS, and they may take photos and schedule showings. But you won’t get the personalized and dedicated service you would from a full-service real estate agent in Colorado. Most discount brokers work on teams, so be prepared to have multiple points of contact throughout the process. Always make sure you understand exactly which services they’ll be providing (and which are not included) before you agree to work with a discount broker.
