Daily News, New York, Scott Wenger column.

Publication: Daily News (New York, New York) (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News)

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COPYRIGHT 2005 Daily News

Byline: Scott Wenger

Oct. 21--Here's the ultimate do-it-yourself home project: Sell it yourself.

Many think that's a job best left to the experts. But when it's time to sell your home, is turning to a professional real estate broker the smartest move?

Despite the endless hype, I didn't think so -- and I was willing to put my one-bedroom upper West Side apartment on the market, "For Sale By Owner."

How did I do? The outcome was much different than I -- and countless brokers -- predicted.

From the time I advertised my open house, more than 60 brokers called, E-mailed or stopped by to try to talk me out of going it alone. Clearly, I was on to something. With real estate commissions as high as 6 percent, a slice of any deal these days amounts to a windfall. Why give away such a large piece of the action?

I felt confident about this responsibility, but naysayers tried...

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