Monday, February 9, 2009

I Want to Sell My House On the Internet - 17 Helpful Websites

I plan to sell my house this year, and I know the Internet is a great way to reach a large number of buyers. Which Internet sites should I use to sell my home?

This is a common question among home sellers, especially in slower markets like those we are now seeing across the United States. It's true, the Internet can help you sell your house quickly by presenting it to a vast audience of potential buyers. But where you go online, and which websites you end up using, will depend on several things. For example:

If you plan to sell your house by yourself, then you'll want to research the various FSBO websites that are online today. These sites offer a variety of Internet tools to help you market your home. If you plan to sell through a real estate agent, then you'll want to learn about the websites used by agents.

In this article, I'll try cover all of the angles. To do this, I've made a list of websites that can help you through every aspect of the home selling process. So if you're one of the many people wondering: How can I sell my house on the Internet ... you'll want to save this page for future reference!


General Advice for Home Sellers

Let's start with a list of websites that offer general tips and advice for sellers. Some of the sites listed in this section offer additional Internet tools to help you sell your house, but they all fall into "general advice" category as well.

  • http://www.hud.gov/selling/index.cfm
  • http://www.homebuyinginstitute.com/selling
  • http://www.realestateabc.com/homeselling
  • http://www.century21.com/sellingadvice


Websites to Help You Price the Home

Pricing a home effectively is the key to success when selling. If you get this step wrong, all of the marketing in the world won't help you. You must price it right in order to attract buyers and move toward a sale. Here are some Internet destinations that can help you determine your home's value.

  • http://www.homegain.com/homevalues
  • http://www.zillow.com
  • http://www.eppraisal.com
  • http://www.domania.com
  • http://realestate.yahoo.com/Homevalues
  • http://www.housevalues.com (one of my least favorites)
  • Our review of home value websites


Websites for FSBO Sellers

"I want to sell my house on the Internet but I don't want to go through a real estate agent." This is a common issue among home sellers today. Fortunately, there are many websites you can use to make it happen. Here are a few sites worth researching.



Finding a Real Estate Agent Online

If you plan to use an agent when you sell your house, you'll be glad to know you can find one online. There are many websites to help you locate a professional agent in your area. Here's a short list of some of the best Internet sites for this purpose.

  • http://www.realtor.com/findreal/
  • http://realestate.yahoo.com/Realtors
  • http://www.century21.com
  • http://www.remax.com/residential/find_an_agent/
  • Tips on finding a real estate agent


They key to selling a home quickly is to (A) price it realistically and (B) promote it to the largest possible audience. The websites listed above will help you do these things, and if you need additional help you can always hire a real estate agent.

Preparing your home for the market is also an important step. Before you let buyers tour the house, you should make sure the property looks its best. This is where home staging comes into the picture. It's a tough economy for sellers, so you must do everything you can to attract offers.

Related article:
Can I sell my house by myself in this economy?

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posted by Brandon at 1:11 PM