Fort Worth Flat Fee MLS Agent discusses FSBO marketing options.

How to Increase Exposure of the FSBO Property

There are several ways to increase exposure of a FSBO property.  The options include:
1)     Advertising in the classified ads section of the local newspaper.
2)     Placing yard signs in strategic locations around the area.
3)     Advertising with Internet FSBO services.
4)     Flat Fee listings with the MLS.
 
Lets discuss each option in turn. In this article we will discuss Classified Advertising. Later articles will discuss other advertising options.
 
Classified Advertising in Local Newspapers

Generally, experienced agents will tell you that the classified advertising section of the local newspaper is very ineffective and overpriced.  It is true that weekend housing special supplements are always printed and that there is a lot of advertising devoted and targeted to homebuyers and builders.  This is largely a holdover practice from pre-Internet times.  Essentially, the real estate industry and the newspaper industry are moving on momentum from the pre-Internet era.
 
If you do decide to place advertising in the classifieds place it only in the Sunday paper.  While it is true that a serious buyer who is devoted to finding a home will look in the weekday and Saturday papers on occasion, those same people will ALWAYS look in the Sunday supplement section.  Therefore, you are better off to spend your limited budget on Sunday advertisements.  If you want to splurge and get noticed purchase a larger ad on Sunday rather than placing ads in the paper on other days of the week.
 
When you place an ad in the newspaper always include the following basic information:
1)     Price
2)     Square Footage
3)     # Of Beds & Baths
4)     Phone Number
5)     Area of Town (not street address)
 
Additional Information that could be included:
1)     School District (if noted for excellence)
2)     Amenities (pool, deck, etc.)
3)     Special Features (golf course frontage, lake view, etc.)
4)     Special Financing (assumable loan, owner financing, etc.)
 
Some newspapers now offer the option to include the advertisement on their website and to add photographs for small additional costs.  This is a good idea if you decide to take advantage of a longer term (weekly) advertising special package price.
 
Generally speaking, however, using the newspaper is one of the lease cost effective means of getting exposure for your property.

Fort Worth Flat Fee MLS Listing Service Agent Lee Thurburn, President of NetOffer.com, a Dallas Flat Fee MLS Listing Brokerage, has been listing homes on the MLS for a Flat Fee since 2004. NetOffer has listed and sold nearly 2,500 homes and has saved millions of dollars in commissions for clients. If you are thinking about selling your home call 972-470-5888 to learn more about the Dallas Flat Fee MLS Listing services that NetOffer provides.