Why do some South Florida residents eschew real estate agents when they put their homes up for sale and go the “for sale by owner” route? The answers vary, but in many cases homeowners believe that they can market their homes just as effectively as a real estate agent, and save themselves the thousands of dollars that would come with a commission being paid upon the sale of the home. In this day and age of the Internet and online marketing, that may be true for some. But, can all help of any kind be avoided by listing a home as “for sale by owner?”
In many cases, the answer may be “it depends.” Just like the sale and purchase of many other items on any given marketplace, a real estate sale can be a complex financial transaction. But, unlike the purchase or sale of many other goods or services, a real estate transaction can involve negotiations over the terms of sale in a contract, dealing with title issues and, when it is all close to coming together, there is still the real estate closing to get through.
Even those real estate sellers who choose to take the “for sale by owner” route to save themselves some money by avoiding real estate agents may encounter legal issues that they simply weren’t prepared for. Taking the time to investigate and address these issues may make the difference between a successful deal and a deal that falls through at any moment.
At our law firm, we do our best to help our clients who have chosen to sell their real estate on their own. We applaud their independence and self-reliance, but in some instances the right information about real estate law in South Florida can be crucial. For more information about these types of real estate transactions, please visit our website.
