They believe that there must be a winner and a loser in the transaction. Private negotiations commonly break down when tempers flare. Your real estate agent makes a living conducting successful negotiations between buyers and sellers. The private seller has limited ammunition in defending the price of their property. A real estate agent can provide buyers with proof of your home's value by accessing information on other homes that have sold through the Multiple Listing Service.
Most private sellers are unsuccessful in negotiating an offer.
Often For Sale By Owner properties are not taken as seriously by prospective buyers. Private sellers should carefully weigh the potential costs associated with a much longer selling time and paying for advertising when the odds of success are slight. If you are later faced with the reality of listing the property your total costs of selling will be even greater in the end. Many studies have shown that the longer a house is for sale the less money it brings. A National Association of Realtors study revealed the following statistics with respect to listed property.