Professional Realtors understand the paperwork and know the pitfalls that can render a contract unenforceable. In the course of many real estate transactions, the buyers have at least some desire to back out of the contract between ratification and the closing. And, they will be able to do so, if the paperwork does not meet the precise legal requirements of the local jurisdiction. The terms of the sale should be set forth in a clear and unambiguous way in order to avoid a costly dispute. Many of the homes that we list started out as "For Sale by Owner" transactions that didn't result in a sale, and the cost of unraveling the failed contracts often exceeded the broker's fees.