Most Buyers do search for property online; if they can’t find your property, they can’t buy it.  This brings up an important issue.  Your property needs to be easy to find online.  Website developers need to understand what search terms will drive Buyers to their site.  Adirondack By Owner has done a great job with their Google search results for “Adirondack Real Estate” in both Pay-Per-Click and organic searches.  Unfortunately, the site fails to appear in Google searches for most of the individual towns.  I encourage you to Google “real estate (your town), NY” before listing with ANY Realtor or on AdkByOwner to see how their website ranks . 

My next area of concern is the level of service.  There isn’t any.  If a Seller lives outside the area they simply can’t be available everyday to show their property.  Unfortunately, most Buyers are from outside the area as well.  Unless the stars align perfectly, a Buyer may not have the opportunity to view the property on short notice. 

One of the most important facets of my job as a Realtor is to report back to the Seller with feedback after a showing.  Most Buyers won’t make negative comments in front of a Seller.  My job is to help the Seller learn what needs to be done to sell the property; this is best accomplished with Buyer feedback.  A Seller showing their own property may be left wondering why their home or camp hasn't received any offers when it has appeared that every prospect has liked it.

There are rarely listings on AdkbyOwner that include the term “Buyer Agents Welcome” or “Broker Protected”.  Broker Protected is the industry term that clarifies that the Seller is willing to cooperate with and compensate a Buyer’s Agent.  Most Buyers are from outside the area; they want local representation and guidance.  If a Seller is unwilling to work with the Buyer’s Agent, their property might not make the short list. 

My next concern is the public perception of Adirondack By Owner.  The very nature of this site is to make it easy for ANYONE to list their property for ANY PRICE.  You know what that means; quite a few properties listed for “I have a dream" prices.  No one has vetted these properties to ensure that the asking prices are in the ball park of the market value.  A business savvy Realtor will not list a severely overpriced property, it's simply a waste of marketing dollars and time.  Overpriced properties are damaging to Buyer perception of the local market and may lead those considering buying to believe that the area is out of reach.

Please keep in mind there are hundreds of real estate websites.  Most real estate companies make sure their listings are on the most popular sites.  AdkByOwner is just one little ‘ol website.  It’s a great, inexpensive tool for those casually interested in selling.  However, if you are serious about selling a property, or if you NEED to sell a property, please don’t waste your valuable time.