When you sell your own home, you benefit through:

• Saving commission costs that are charged by Real Estate Agents. Agents glibly say that their commission (currently up to 4% in New Zealand, meaning $10,000 to $20,000 for houses selling between $250,000 and $700,000) is just part of the sale price. If you earn an average income of $35,000 before tax, how long would it take you to save $10,000? And what else could you do with this extra money?
• Save on excessively expensive advertising costs demanded by some Real Estate Agents, usually amounting to thousands of dollars over and above their commission. Ask yourself, "do the advertisements placed by your Agent promote the Agent and his/her Agency rather than the homes or properties that they are selling?"
• Save on selling fees. If you go to auction, and your home does not sell, you are still required to pay for the costs of the auction and all of the prior marketing costs.
• Private sellers are in control of each step in the sale process. Many homeowners have had past bad experiences with one, or more, Real Estate Agents. They know that they can do better themselves, and without all the hassles.
• A successful sale is a satisfying and rewarding experience. If you plan well, seek professional help in setting the sale price and help with legal issues, you should be able to sell your own home privately and at a price that fully reflects its value.
• You do not need a Real Estate Agent to close the sale. Your lawyer/solicitor can oversee the final negotiations and the signing of the Sale Agreement. Your lawyer/solicitor will also process all of the " post-signing" legal work that is required to complete the sale of your home. Remember that you would have had to pay for legal services even if you had used a Real Estate Agent.

If you have priced your home or property realistically, you need not drop your price by the equivalent amount that you would have paid a Real Estate Agent. The buyer will look at your property and compare it to others that they have seen. If they like it, and it’s correctly priced, they will pay a competitive price to own it.

The above is a sample of Chapter 1 from the Guide to Selling Your Own Real Estate Property.