This document outlines 6 common mistakes that home sellers make that waste their equity. These include: 1) hiring an unqualified real estate agent without properly vetting them, 2) believing the 6% commission is the only option when lower fee options exist, 3) not understanding conflicts of interest between the seller and their agent, 4) being unaware of "pocket listings" where agents hide listings to collect buyer commissions, 5) allowing dual agency where one agent represents both sides, and 6) using affiliated service providers recommended by their agent which can artificially inflate costs. The document encourages home sellers to educate themselves through a free online course to avoid making these costly mistakes.

1. Home Selling MistakesThat
Really WasteYour Money

2. You worked hard for
the equity in your home

3. Why give it away so thoughtlessly?

4. When you sell your home, your objective is...

5. ...to keep as much of your equity as possible
...to keep as much of your equity as possible

6. But you probably won’t because…
…you’ll make one of these mistakes

7. 1 You Will Hire a Lousy Real Estate
Agent
Studies* show two thirds of home sellers only speak
with one agent before selecting one. The reason?
Most home sellers have no idea how to tell a good one
from a bad one so why bother interviewing them.
You’re going to hire a temp employee and pay them
$10K or $20K or $30K to sell your home. You should
know how to tell a good one from a bad one.
*Citation

8. 2 You Think Paying a Real Estate
Agent 6% Commission is the Only
Choice You Have
Paying a 6% commission to sell your home is THE most
expensive way to sell your home. Other options, such
as flat fee and fee-for-service, will save you a lot of
money. You should not be afraid to consider them.
If you do insist on using a percentage-based
commission, at the very least you should negotiate a
substantially lower rate.

9. 3 You Do Not Understand the
Conflicts of Interest Between You
and Your Agent
It is called the Principal-Agent Problem and it causes
good agents to give sellers bad advice. Research*
conducted by two Stanford professors found that agents
distort information to mislead clients. It explains why
agents sell their own homes for 3.7% more than the
sellers they represent.
Smart home sellers know how to eliminate, or at least
reduce, the Principal-Agent Problem.
*Citation

10. 4 You Have No Idea What a Pocket
Listing is
A Pocket Listing is when your agent keeps your listing
off the local MLS (Multiple Listing Service). They do
this so they can keep the buyer’s agent’s commission.
Research* by San Francisco real estate agents found
that pocket listings, by severely limiting the home’s
exposure, can cost home sellers as much as
$200,000.
*Citation

11. 5 You Will Allow Your Agent to
Function as a Dual Agent
Dual Agency is when your agent also represents the
buyer. You may not think it’s a problem, but the consumer
advocate group CAARE calls dual agency “The Biggest
Consumer Scam in Real Estate*.”
Research** conducted at Cornell University found that
dual agency homes sold for 8% less. That equates to
$24K on a $300,000 home.
*Citation
**Citation

12. 6 You Will Use Service Providers
Affiliated With Your Agent
By using title and escrow services owned or affiliated
with your agent, not only do you forfeit the opportunity
to shop for a better price, but you destroy the integrity
of these vital checks and balances.
Research* indicates that these affiliated service
providers lead to market manipulation and artificial
price increases that cost consumers in one state an
estimated $100 million.
*Citation

13. So, now
that you
know
about
these
mistakes

14. How will you make sure you don’t make them?

15. How about a FREE mini course to get you
started called…

16. Introduction to
The Intelligent Home Seller

17. To enroll...

18. Go to End Of Six Percent
I’m Carl Weisman and
I help home sellers preserve their hard-earned equity
Why do I do that?
I’m sick and tired of home sellers being intimidated into
squandering away their equity due to an abundance of fear and a
lack of education