Choosing to Sell Land with an Auction or an Agent?
C
hoosing the right approach to sell your property is a very important decision. It can make a difference of thousands of dollars. After being in real estate almost twenty-five years, I have seen a lot! I have never understood why so many owners of acreage choose to do an auction on their land compared to testing the real estate market and promoting it to every agent in the surrounding area along with radio ads and print. I look at real estate as an investment and you only get one chance to make the most money you can on your property. Why limit yourself? Is it convenience of one and done? That simply makes no sense to me, especially with land! It is not like you have a lot of people tracking through your home and having to leave all the time, it is land. There are other options of course besides the auctions or the
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traditional way of using a real estate agent. Some owners try "For Sale By Owner" (or FSBO) because they think they may have more control over the selling process and feel they are saving themselves money. In my opinion they are leaving thousands of dollars on the table because they did not test the market and use an experienced agent who can open it up to thousands of real estate agents through all our networks, not to mention marketing and advertising. I am always amazed at the calls we receive from someone that hears us talking about a property on our radio shows or commercials that are not even looking to buy, but they hear us describing it and realize that is what they have always wanted. I realize when it comes to land, in some cases it is inherited, and the family members just want it done quickly and feel an auction is simpler. If we were in another type of market I might agree, but they
