This story in Realtor.com about the founder of forsalebyowner.com selling his own personal home through a real estate agent made me smile and think about how far this industry has come in the last 10 years or so. The only thing that is constant in life is change, but what always holds true is that people make a difference in where you end up when it is all said and done. No web site will ever take the place of a strong local expert that can account for nuances in the market with real life experience and a pure gut-feel. I don't just feel this way about real estate either. I think it is true in many industries where market pricing is widely unregulated. Some time ago a friend of mine did some research on the accuracy of Zillow's Zestimate (not sure it that is spelled right...) for home value. I have nothing against that web site, and frankly think there are times when it is a very useful tool. At that time however, their own disclaimer said there actual published value for any particular home in New Castle County was generally within 20% of the actual sale price 50% of the time. Surprised?
When you hire a Realtor to get your home sold, the 'sold' part is the end point in the process. Establishing fair market value, and actually obtaining that amount from a qualified and motivated buyer is typically the largest part of the process where the true value in the service is conveyed.
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