DIY home sale advocate can’t do it himself
Written by Steven Cross
The founder of a website that urges home owners to sell their property without an agent has been forced to give up trying to sell his own home and call in a professional.
Former CEO of ForSalebyOwner.com, Colby Sambrotto, listed his New York condominium through online classified ads and FSBO sites last year. Six months on, however, he opted to hire New York agent Jesse Buckler.
Mr Buckler immediately advised a price change as the listing was not attracting the right buyer. After giving up on the DIY route, Sambrotto’s decision to hire an agent led to the property attracting multiple offers, closing for $150,000 over the original asking price.
“Agents can negotiate a better price,” he said. “I know what the competition is in the marketplace. I know what the buyer has seen. I have the skills to overcome their resistance. I am not emotionally attached.
“Developing a rapport of this calibre with a buyer is something good agents do rather quickly. What is on a seller’s mind at the first meeting is, ‘I paid X amount for that marble countertop so I am not giving my house away’.”
Mr Buckler also claims that paperwork and legal hurdles can make it too difficult for an owner to sell their home.
“An owner … without [legal] representation is undertaking what can be a long, difficult, and perplexing process. To learn as you go is risky business when you are dealing with the roof over your head.”