Tuesday, June 11, 2019 / by Ben Pickthorn
Study: FSBOs Don't Save Real Estate Commission
One of the main reasons why For Sale By Owners (FSBOs) don’t use a real estate agent is because they believe they will save the commission an agent charges for getting their house on the market and selling it. A new study by Collateral Analytics, however, reveals that FSBOs don’t actually save anything, and in some cases may be costing themselves more, by not listing with an agent.
In the study, they analyzed home sales in a variety of markets in 2016 and the first half of 2017. The data showed that:
“FSBOs tend to sell for lower prices than comparable home sales, and in many cases below the average differential represented by the prevailing commission rate.” (emphasis added)
Why would FSBOs net less money than if they used an agent?
The study makes several suggestions:
“There could be systematic bias on the buyer side as well. FSBO sales might attract more strategic buyers than MLS sales, par. ...
In the study, they analyzed home sales in a variety of markets in 2016 and the first half of 2017. The data showed that:
“FSBOs tend to sell for lower prices than comparable home sales, and in many cases below the average differential represented by the prevailing commission rate.” (emphasis added)
Why would FSBOs net less money than if they used an agent?
The study makes several suggestions:
“There could be systematic bias on the buyer side as well. FSBO sales might attract more strategic buyers than MLS sales, par. ...
