How to Turn an FSBO Listing into YOUR Listing

There are certain perks that come along with selling a home without a listing agent, especially in a competitive market. Your job is to show the seller that those perks don’t outweigh the value that comes through working with a Realtor. Let’s talk about For Sale by Owner listings and how you can get them to choose you instead!

The easiest way to get a seller to list with you is to START by providing value to them. Can you throw some quick market data their way to show what they’ve been missing? Here’s an easy example: 5.95 million homes were sold in 2022 with only 10% of them being sold by owner.

The facts speak for themselves. 90% of homes were sold using a Realtor, and many homes sold by owner went for less than the median sale price. Yikes. No one wants to get less than they deserve for the home they worked so hard to buy. Working with you could be a way to make sure the seller gets what they deserve, price-wise.

Now, let's look at some of the ways a Realtor brings value to home sellers:

Now that we know all of the value you provide, how do we get the seller to make you their Realtor without coming across as pushy? Start with a simple email or phone call. It doesn’t have to be anything more than an introduction. Check out these script examples:

Simple, right? You introduced yourself, provided data, and offered help. You weren’t overbearing, you just made them aware of you.

Phone Template

You: Hey John, this is Erin with ABC Realty Group. How are you?

John: I’m well, how are you?

You: I’m doing great, thanks. I saw you were selling your home on your own and wanted to reach out. I’ve had a few listings in your area and noticed you were selling yours for under-market value. Can I ask why?

John: Oh, wow…really? We thought we had it priced pretty similarly.

You: Yeah, that happens a lot when people sell on their own. It’s nothing to stress about, though. Would you be open to grabbing coffee and going over how I may be able to help you bring that price up?

John: That would be great!

Again, you didn’t push, you just provided value. You showed the potential client that you were someone they could count on before they even work with you.

We all know you’re probably going to get some pushback, right? Hearing the word “no” is part of the process. This means being prepared to respond to their “no” without any defensiveness, only more value.

For example, if the seller tells you, “Yeah, we don’t need any of that. We worked with a Realtor before and got a bad deal,” you want to respond with empathy.

“I am so sorry to hear that, John. I’ve been there and it’s really disappointing when someone doesn’t do their best for you. If you’re open to it, I’d like to hear what happened and tell you how we can avoid that same scenario this time around.”

By showing compassion, you’re creating space for an open dialogue. This matters when working with a hesitant client.

At the very least, when you get pushback, ask if you can send over a pre-listing package. By having a simple presentation for a potential seller to look over at their leisure, they can see what you do and how it can make a difference in their sale without any pressure. You’ll want to include:

Your job as a Realtor is to help people buy and sell homes, but it’s also about educating your client and being someone they can turn to. Even if you don’t get the For Sale by Owner listing, you may get a referral. Choosing to treat people well even when they don’t choose to work with you will set you apart from the crowd.

If you want another way to stand out in the Realtor world, why not partner with the team at Churchill Mortgage? Give us a call or click here to learn more!