Selling privately yourself without a broker? I can help. 

It might seem odd for a broker to offer any assistance or encouragement to a for sale by owner, but it has helped me build my brand for several reasons.

1. Private sellers are a great source of additional properties beyond what's available on the MLS. I have sold dozens of them to my buyer clients because we treated them as open listings rather than boycotting motivated sellers.
2. Some private sellers have contacted me to help them with their next purchase or referred me to a friend or relative who needed a broker. I love referrals.
3. The data on selling by owner does indicate that a fairly high percentage end up listing with a broker eventually if they were unsuccessful on their own. All of them choose a professional they like and trust. It just makes sense for me to earn your potential future business by being a positive resource. If you do elect to formally list your home, I want to be on your short list to interview for the job.
4. Socratic wisdom. Yes, I've been a broker for 30 years, written thousands of article and columns, made hundreds of instructional videos and trained hundreds of agents, but I am still learning new things. Anything where I can learn something new, solve a unique problem, and expand my experience is a worthy pursuit.
5. Business networking is highly valuable, and assisting a private seller is advanced networking in my world. My rolodex is loaded with resources that I would never have known if I boycotted private sellers. Boycotts aren't always productive or moral.

So how can I help? 

I've compiled a collections of guides and videos for consumers I call my Private Seller Assistance Plan. It's a pretty deep dive into each phase of a transaction from preparation to closing with a written manual and corresponding instructional video. The content is tailor-made for our local market in the suburbs of New York City because we are so different from the rest of the country.

Here is a brief outline:

• Step 1: Price it Right
• Step 2: Assemble the Dream Team of Professionals
• Step 3: Due Diligence on Your Property
• Step 4: Make the House Show-ready
• Step 4: Marketing the Property
• Step 5: Showings and Open Houses
• Step 6: Offers and Negotiation
• Step 7: Home Inspections
• Step 8: Contract
• Step 9: Mortgage Process
• Step 10: Closing

Bonus Guides:

• • Understanding the Players on Both Sides of the Transaction and Their Roles
  • Questions to ask Attorneys Before you Hire Them
  • 5 Things Agents Won’t Tell you to Increase Showings
  • Common Home Selling Myths
  • Costly Mistakes and Red Flags to Avoid
  • Do’s and Don’ts When Dealing with Agents
  • How to Vet Buyers to Make the Transaction Bullet-Proof
  • PUDS, Condos, Co-ops, and Homeowner Associations 
  • Understanding Different Types of Mortgages and Why That Matters
  • Tackling 11th Hour Obstacles 
  • What to do When Relatives and Friends Interfere

I offer a no-strings-attached comparative market analysis (CMA). The home has to be priced right. I only need a quick walk thought to get you a market analysis to ensure your property is priced optimally. You're doing this to optimize your proceeds, and that can't happen if your asking price is not market sensitive.

My instructional document (How to Vet Buyers, in bold above) on the questions a private seller needs to ask a prospective buyer before signing contracts has been particularly praised by consumers. This started out as 5 questions and is now more than 10. The feedback I have gotten about how helpful the information is has been stellar- I've had many people tell me how much they learned from it and what a difference it made. This is, aside from hiring me outright, the most valuable resource I have given a seller, and I am happy to give it to you with no cost or strings attached.

What's the catch? 

Of course I have my reasons for offering this, and it is no secret. Private sellers like you are making a business decision. We can discuss the merit of whether or not a broker can help a seller net more overall, but that's another conversation. I respect thoughtful business decisions. Rather than argue with sellers by owner about their thought process, I prefer to be a helpful. Have many FSBOs listed with me over the years because of this? Yes. I'm not coy. If you're reading this, I want to do business. That has always started with me bringing some value. If you'd like some or all of the materials and resources I have described, just reach out and they're yours. Many people like you have eventually listed with me, referred me business later, or hired me on their purchase or a later transaction down the road. Some have gotten my material and that was that. That's fine, because no string attached means no strings attached.

Is there any small print? 

There are only two restrictions that apply:

1. I cannot do a market analysis without physically seeing the property, inside and out. A 15 minute walk-through is all I need for most homes.
2. All my content is delivered digitally only. You can print it or read on any device, but I cannot furnish my guides and manuals in paper form at no charge because of the expense of printing.