Let’s be honest – selling your house through a For Sale by Owner (FSBO) strategy is challenging. The absence of an agent means that you are responsible for executing the entire sale process, which can be exhausting and overwhelming.

The complications have forced many sellers to think about how to sell a home by owner, or even if they should go for an FSBO sale at all. While it is true that selling your property by yourself is not a piece of cake, there are some tips which can make the activity easier and smoother.

1. Complement your pictures with words:

According to a study conducted by Redfin and Grammarly, houses with less than 50-word descriptions were more likely to be sold within three months of listing. Even though shorter descriptions increase your chances of getting a decent price, to summarize everything about your house in a couple of paragraphs is no easy task.

Make sure that your words support the story portrayed by the pictures. If the textual description of your house does not match the images, the buyers will not take your listing seriously.

Draw a clear mental image of the target buyer and focus on aspects that might attract that buyer. For example, if your house is close to a school, that might allure young families. Make sure to highlight any renovations or recently purchased appliances, including their style and brand; do not shy away from showing off.

2. Decide if you need professional photography

A buyer often notices and observes your house photographs before moving on to anything else. If the pictures fail to impress, it is unlikely that anything else you do will matter. For this reason, it is recommended that you hire the services of a professional photographer.

However, that is not to say that DIY photography cannot achieve excellent results, provided that you have the required equipment. If you do decide to do the job yourself, it is a good idea to brush up on your photography skills and fundamentals with the help of online resources. Pay particular attention to indoor lighting.

Regardless of who films your house, you will never get the perfect results if your home is a mess. It is your responsibility to get your house in an immaculate condition before you begin the photography: organize it, get rid of all unnecessary items, and make it spotlessly clean.

3. Real-estate websites are your friends

An MLS listing is a good start, but it is far from enough. To effectively market your home on your own, you need to create a property website. Once you think you have the perfect photos for your house, get down to finding sites. You might look for real-estate brokers that offer promotional services – including website creation – for FSBO sellers in exchange for a fee.

These days, creating a website does not require intricate technical knowledge or expertise. Several online tools allow you to get a domain name, make a hosting payment, and create a website within a few hours.

4. Benefit from social media and networks

Social media has become a compelling marketing tool for FSBO sellers and professional agents alike. If you have a website, you should share the links on multiple social media platforms, especially the most popular ones like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Gain support from your friends and family by requesting them to share your posts as well as convey your message to any prospective buyer they might know. It is always an excellent strategy to have multiple content types. 

For instance, you could also prepare virtual tours or walkthrough videos in addition to texts and images. If your budget allows, a little bit of paid marketing strategies can go a long way. For around $5-10,

Facebook not only boosts your posts but also spreads them to targeted audiences that might be interested in buying your property. The paid advertisement feature also gives you other crucial tools to monitor the status of your campaigns. For instance, you can track the number of post-views, impressions, and even click-throughs leading to your property website.

You can also spread the word through physical tours of your home. An open house session is an excellent way to allow potential buyers to tour your house without feeling under pressure. Arrange snacks or refreshments to leave a positive, lasting impression, and make sure to distribute flyers or brochures with your contact number should some of the attendees wish to get back to you.

 5. Get email marketing into the mix

If used smartly, email marketing is another powerful marketing tool used extensively by real estate agents. Some best practices will help you get more out of your promotional emails. For example, there are several email platforms through which you can prepare colorful, vibrant drag-and-drop templates and email them to your contacts. 

You might feel that your email list is too short to make any real difference, but you always have more connections than you think. When you include your relatives, friends, current and former coworkers, the list turns out more than decent.

 6. Ask for referrals

When it comes to marketing, every person that you know is an asset that you need to utilize effectively. The best agents influence every single person they know, ranging from families and friends to that tall guy who once greeted them at the gym.

Much like how you would do it on social media and in emails, let your contacts know that you are looking to sell your property, and spread the word if they know someone who might be interested in buying. 

The biggest problem that FSBO sellers face is that of marketing their property effectively. What they do not realize is that the internet has made promotion extremely easy and intuitive. You do not need a marketing degree to be able to understand and implement the tips.

We hope that this article helped you know how to sell a home by owner and ease some of your concerns and apprehensions about the entire process.