For Sale By Owner

The increasing use of computers and technology and the "do-it-yourself" mindset of today's home sellers have contributed to the growth of homeowners who decide to sell their homes themselves as For Sale By Owners, or FSBOs. Estimates of FSBOs range from 20-30% and it is expected that their will be continued growth in the future. Web sites such as I Sold My House make it easy for home sellers to get the word out to a large audience of potential home buyers.

Buyer's Choice Realty provides free advertising to FSBOs as a way to broaden the inventory for home buyers.

There has also been growth in entrepreneurial real estate services to assist FSBO sellers.  Many resources are developing nationally to accommodate those sellers who chose to market their property on their own. 

A home buyer is very vulnerable in the purchase of a For Sale By Owner property in Massachusetts.  While Real Estate Agents must disclose any material defects with a property, owners must not.

For this and other reasons it is smart to use a Buyer's Agent in the purchase of a home that is For Sale By Owner.

Traditional real estate agents may not be eager or willing to help buyers identify and purchase FSBO homes because they do not have the structure in place in their offices to handle such transactions. Buyer's agents, on the other hand, are eager to work with FSBO sellers and usually have a tracking or monitoring system in place to specifically identify FSBOs to increase their "inventory" of homes to show buyers.  If you want an agent to show you all of the available properties out there, you are best served by hiring a Buyer's Agent to show you more than the active MLS properties.