How to Sell a Home on eBay

If you want to reach about 150 million potential buyers worldwide, you should consider using the online auction site eBay to sell your home. It provides home sellers with the ability to conduct a virtual home showing around the clock, seven days a week, and it remains a very cost-effective way to market your home.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• EBay registration and seller's account
• Comprehensive property photos
• Insertion fee

1. Register with eBay, and create a seller's account (see Resources below). Take the time to familiarize yourself with the terms and conditions of your seller's account, since it contains many important items relevant to the sale of your home.

2. Log in to your account, and find the link marked "Sell." This link is located on every single eBay page. You will be redirected to a page that allows you to create a new-sale listing.

3. Set a reserve price for your home sale, if you like, with the input of a licensed home appraiser. The "reserve price" feature is used by sellers who want to ensure that they don't sell their listed item for less than a predetermined amount. While it is very useful to real estate sellers, seasoned eBay users know that the feature can sometimes prevent an item from generating a higher sale price thanks to heated bidding.

4. Shoot and then upload detailed digital pictures of the home you want to sell. Include exterior shots that show the house from every side and angle, using a high-resolution digital camera that enables online users to enlarge the image without losing details. Do the same for each and every room, closet, hallway and interior space inside your home so that buyers have a crystal-clear picture of the property.

5. Select the format of your listing. You can opt for the so-called "ad format," which is simply a tool used to generate sales leads, or you can put your home up for auction just like everything else that's sold on eBay. Complete the "Sell Your Item" form when you're ready to proceed, and your listing will be completed.

6. Monitor the progress of your auction closely, especially in the days leading up to its conclusion. Remember to outline clear deposit and payment terms in the text of your listing and collect the necessary funds from the individual who wins the bidding on your home.

7. Read more about the specifics of selling a home on eBay on the site's real-estate help directory (see Resources below). Here, you can learn more about eBay's real estate sales policies.

Tips & Warnings

• When taking photos of your home, remember to photograph the driveway, roof and yard. Long-time renters who have never owned their own home (and therefore never had a backyard) may be especially interested in pictures of your lawn and garden.
• EBay doesn't charge commissions on real estate sales, nor does it levy final value fees if you make a lot of money on your home sale.
• You can get an authorized eBay "For Sale" sign to put on the front lawn of your home so that buyers in your area know to look for it on the site.

Resources

• Register with eBay
• EBay seller's account creation page
• EBay real estate help