The result is that you'll get far more low-ball offers than if you were working with an agent. Then there are the sheer practical aspects of selling on your own. That happens to be when many buyers want to visit properties and spend time walking through them with the agent they're working with. The hard reality is that if you want to get maximum value for your home, it makes little sense to fly solo. That's why a lot of FBOs come in out of the cold after a few months and list with a professional.
Homes always appreciate.
Spoiled by real estate markets in which values have been going up for years, many homeowners incorrectly assume that their house will appreciate at levels far in excess of other investments. Yet, real estate, like every other important segment of the economy, runs in cycles. If you bought a home at the top of the market cycle but sell it at the bottom, you may end up taking a loss. On the other hand, you might have bought during the bottom of the cycle and can now walk away with a significant gain. In soft markets, sellers often believe they're losing money.