Wholesaler · Atwater, CA · Member since 2013 · 161 posts · 27 votes
Would any one recommend a few reputable FSBO sites. I'm looking to assist a friend that wants to sell all 16 of her properties. I tried my wholesale buyers but they (like me) want stuff cheap and she wants to sell at retail without the expense of hiring a brokerage company.
Beverly Hills, CA · Member since 2012 · 8 posts · 1 vote
11y
Arcinio - The most reputable FSBO sites that I have come across are ForSalyByOwner.com, Fizber.com and Owners.com. Those are the big three in my mind.
Fizber.com is the best in my opinion. They have everything: a free listing option, paid listing options (if you need the extra tools, service) and flat fee MLS option (as James mentioned above, this is a great way to get the sale information out to the market without having to pay a listing commission).
ForSalebyOwner doesnt have a free listing but like Fizber.com has paid listings and an option for flat fee MLS as well. I think they have been around the longest of the three but I found their options to be inferior to Fizber.com.
Owners.com is basically a flat fee MLS only site. Worth checking out if you plan on going the flat fee route. You may want to compare pricing across all three sites to see who has the best flat fee offering.
Real Estate Broker · San Diego, CA · Member since 2015 · 725 posts · 129 votes
9y
Your best bet is searching the web for "Flat Fee MLS + your city". Always check the reviews on yelp, zillow, etc.
Note that not all flat fee listings are the same. In general, here's the big things you want to look for in a flat fee listing:
1. The listing MUST be on the local MLS.
There are hundreds of MLSs in the United States. Sellers want to be on the MLS that covers the area where their home is located, so they can offer a commission to LOCAL buyer agents.
2. Cost to list + changes to listing.
Can range from $100-$400 for the exact same listing on the MLS. Watch out for fine print that requires an additional fee at closing. Make sure you are able to make changes to the listing after it has been posted for a nominal fee.
3. Photos on MLS.
Make sure you can upload at least a dozen photos. Some services offer a great price, but it's only for 1 photo - which is not useful for most properties.
4. Length of Listing.
Get at least a six month listing and be sure that there is no charge for cancellation.
5. Fine print.
You should never be required to use any closing service (e.g. escrow) provided by the flat fee service agent.
We've found that a home selling boils down to getting just three things right 1) get pro photos, 2) offering a fair buyer agent commission on the MLS (typically 2.5%), and 3) price it right, which you'll know once you list (lots of offers = too low, no offers = too high. Either way you can adjust accordingly).