In
the economic downturn, many sellers might need brokers more than ever
to guide them in the ever-changing market place, but the number of
homes that are For Sale by Owner, or FSBO, seem to be increasing. The
number of sellers in the five boroughs advertising on
ForSaleByOwner.com, a Web site dedicated to broker-free sales
nationwide, has increased 22 percent so far this year, compared to the
same time last year. In response to user requests, Craigslist has added
a FSBO category to its real estate section, and the number of
individual ads bought in the New York Times real estate section has
tripled between 2002 and 2007. Brokers do, however, typically buy
multiple ads.