With all of the new services that are coming online to help the sellers of real estate, there is a new type of homeseller in the marketplace - the telecommuter. With many areas across the continent experiencing the hottest sellers market in 10 or more years, these 'net savvy homeowners see themselves as being perfectly positioned to eliminate the listing agent from the sale of their house. I've found that by handling them correctly, there is plenty of business for me.

About 50 percent of the listing appointments I've been on this year have been telecommuters who are 'using' agents to get a price to FSBO market their home. I could view this as a terrible thing for both the industry in general, and myself specifically, but I don't. I see it as an opportunity to help one of my buyers buy a house, possibly at a saving (no listing commission), while avoiding the moral and practical perils of dual agency. Fortunately, I'm able to offer enough services to these people to at least be able to fall back on my menu of services, or get their agreement to pay me a selling fee of 2.5 percent.

Before I begin, I believe in a word of advice. It is crucial that you warn the potential seller before you have any discussions about the value of their house that they must not reveal anything to you that they would not want a buyer to know, in case they don't list with you. Check with your broker or local association for the recommended disclosure that should be used at the beginning of any listing presentation.

Back to the telecommuters. Who are these folks? In the three cases I've worked with this year, one is a business consultant who is home half the week. His wife is home the rest of the time. They are in their mid-40's with two young children. Another is a 31-year-old day trader, who is selling his condo apartment to buy a big house (I'll get the buying side, and have been showing him houses already). The third one is an Internet graphic designer in his 30's.

One thing I've noticed that these telecommuters have in common is that none of them seems to have any doubt that they will be able to sell their house FSBO; they all state that they will give it a month, and then call me in to list it, if by some fluke it hasn't sold.

All three have been busily doing research online, and at the local library, getting ready to deal with the perceived onslaught of buyers in this incredible sellers' market. When I've questioned them about the interruptions to their working day, they have unanimously responded that 'most people look in the evening or on weekends, so what difference does it really make? I can handle a couple of minor interruptions if need be'.

How Can I Make Sure I'm the One They Call If Their House Doesn't Sell?

First, I lend these people some of the consumer books I have in my business library. I also offer to provide the information sheets, business cards, and exposure on one or more of my web sites. Of course, my contact information is plastered on all this collateral, as well as a small blurb explaining my expertise in representing buyers. The web site advertising doesn't include the address of the property, but does state that it is FSBO, thus gives me a better chance of selling the property for these people. Another thing I do is give them copies of the various forms that are typically used in a sale.

So that the relationship isn't all give on my part, I give them some guidelines on showing their house from a personal security aspect; see a drivers license, get the phone number and call it while the people are in the house, etc. These tips are given in exchange for them agreeing to give me the contact information of everyone they show their house to, so I can follow-up with those people and see if they need the services of a great ABR.

Finally, I have them sign an acknowledgment that they will pay me a fee of X$/% of the sale price of their house, and an acknowledgement that I will not be working for them, but will be working to get my buyers the best possible deal.

Is It Worth It?

Well, I spend no more time at the 'listing' appointment selling them on how I can help them as a FSBO than I do when they are listing the property. I don't give them the same best-in-town feature sheets as my listings get, but I do use a template that I created printed in color (they pay the printing & copying costs of $1.25 per sheet). Their web presence is similar to that given to my actual listings, although the FSBO has to provide the text content for it. And, worth more than gold, I get their respect and referrals to their friends.

In 1999, I helped several FSBO's this way, and sold over $1 million to them as buyers, so it works for me. And it can work for you, if you look at it from the perspective of the Internet-empowered consumer trying to maximize the equity in their home.

Also See: