Where to Advertise Online

For maximum exposure, market your home to two groups: (1) traditional buyers who work with buyers’ agents, and (2) nontraditional buyers who want to eliminate the middleman and deal directly with sellers.

The best way to reach traditional buyers is to list your home on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). But the MLS isn’t a good way to reach nontraditional buyers. MLS rules won’t allow listings to be identified as FSBOs, nor will they allow the seller’s contact information to be displayed to the public.

Fortunately, there are several online resources that nontraditional buyers use to find FSBO properties. None of these resources is the dominant player yet, so it’s a good idea to list your home on several of them.

But be careful. Some FSBO websites are phonies--set up by real estate agents and mortgage brokers to grab leads. Their goals vary. Some want to intercept buyers so they can capture the buyer’s agent’s commission. Some want to redirect callers to other listings. Others want to pre-qualify buyers so they can later sell them overpriced loans.

Here’s how to avoid the phonies:

Only list on FSBO websites that display YOUR contact information.

You should also be wary of companies that have buyers dial a toll-free number followed by an extension to get in touch with you. I tested one of these services and wasn’t able to get through to the seller. Instead, the broker who ran the service captured my cell phone number and called me back. His goal may have been to get a commission by intercepting buyers.

Here’s a list of the popular FSBO directories in our service area. All are free, and all allow you to post your own contact information. We recommend that you post ads on all of them:

1. Zillow.com. It’s free, it’s big, and it’s national. You’ll likely disagree with Zillow’s “Zestimate” (appraisal) of your property’s value, but don’t worry about it. Zestimates are notoriously unreliable.

2. Craigslist.org. It’s poorly organized and you'll have to repost your ad each week, but many buyers look for FSBO properties there. So many, in fact, that many real estate agents try to work “FSBO” into ads for traditional listings (e.g., “This property is NOT a FSBO”) so that they’ll show up in more search results. 

3. Our websites: FSBOSonoma.com, FSBOSolano.com, FSBONapa.com, FSBOAlameda.com, FSBOContraCosta.com, FSBOSac.com, FSBOSantaClara.com, and FSBOSanMateo.com. Our websites also allow you to generate ready-made Craigslist ads. If you wish, we’ll even repost your Craigslist ad for you each week for free.

Other ad tips

FSBO websites are a good place to advertise any price breaks you’re willing to give buyers who aren’t working with buyers’ agents. For example, if you’re offering a 2.5% commission on a $600,000 house, you might add this line to your ads: “Buyers without agents take $15,000 off.” Don’t, however, put this line on your flyers, signs, or anywhere a traditional buyer who is visiting your home with an agent can find it. If you do, buyers’ agents will be reluctant to show your home to their clients.

Finally, always give your property address when you post an ad--even if it’s occupied by tenants. Experienced buyers will want to research your property online and drive by it before they call you. Concealing the property address creates an obstacle for buyers and discourages them from seeing your property.