From: trader4@optonline.net
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Ended up buying my roomie's condo. Should I compensate buyer's agent?
Date: 2 Jun 2006 05:11:52 -0700
   posting-account=vW3O0AwAAABxQqAj-ZYxYAKqrqLQW3tX


Lady wrote:
> "D. Gerasimatos"  wrote in message
> news:e5gndb$doi$1@soda.csua.berkeley.edu...
> > In article , Lady  wrote:
> >>
> >>You can ask anything you want - doesn't mean it will happen -- if I was
> >>selling a condo without an agent and someone came in and made and offer
> >>and
> >>expected me to pay the fee I would not accept the offer -- if I wanted to
> >>pay a agent I would not have listed it as a for sale by owner!
> >
> >
> > A bird in the hand...
> >
> >
> > Whether your decision would be wise or not depends on your local real
> > estate market and to some extent luck.
> >
> >
> > Did you know that some of the best sources of listings for agents are
> > FSBOs? They're also some of the best sources to look for bargains for
> > buyers.
> >
> >
> > Dimitri
> >
>
> Agreed -- and if you plan on doing a FSBO you need to do your homework first
> and know the area you are selling in


I did a FSBO with my condo 10 years ago in a tough market, that had
just started to rebound.    Took me 3 months and I got close to the
asking price, which was the highest a unit had sold for in the prior
several years.    I think I did have one advantage.  In a condo, if
people are familiar with it, or happen to have looked at another unit,
then if they see my ad or sign, they know they can look at another
identical one, and perhaps save some money without commission.

I did have brokers call that had clients and I was willing to work with
them, ie give them 3%.  But I found the buyer on my own.

A lot of this has to do with how good you are at marketing the
property.  If you are totally clueless, then a realtor can be a big
help.