leighyork

It’s not unusual for a seller to ask this question.  It’s reasonable for them to ask if we’re not telling them.  Have you ever thought to ask them what they are doing to help sell the home?  Most of the time we all believe we are doing everything we can.  However, as REALTORS, we’re supposed to know what to do.  We can’t expect the sellers to know if we don’t tell them.

Here’s a short list.

1. Thoroughly clean the house and keep it that way.  When a prospect looks at a home and notices any dirt, dust, debris, etc. they ask themselves “What else aren’t the owners doing?  Maintenance?”
2. Don’t talk negatively about the property or the neighborhood.  This seems like a no-brainer but a seller will complain about the neighborhood to someone in their sphere of influence and say, “Oh, it’s just….it doesn’t matter.”  Wrong.  It’s a small world and people share.
3. Maintain the property, inside and outside.  If there is anything that isn’t done buyer’s automatically say “There a lot to be done.”  Or, “I would spend too much money having things done.” Or, “I don’t want a property that would take all of my time to maintain.” Ug. People. Also, curb appeal is king.  Make them want to come in.
4. Price it appropriately to the market and the property condition. In most markets, if the property is priced higher than what the average buyer will pay; the prospects won’t even look.  Pricing a home with room to negotiate often prices the property right off the radar.
5. Follow the property online.  Not all REALTORS like this one but I do.  It’s impossible for me to keep up with every place on the internet that a listing will be.  Of course, I don’t have control over all of those sites either.  If I explain to my client that these sites pick up listings and consistently get the data wrong, the seller can help me be on the lookout and I know when I need to try to get something corrected.  If nothing else, I can sometimes post comments that correct the misinformation.
6. Pay your bills. Again, I shouldn’t have to say it but keep the utilities on and make your mortgage payments. Besides the inconvenience of not paying them, a prospect assumes the worse and thinks “I don’t want to mess with this one.”
7. You’ve hired a professional.  Listen to them.  One of the biggest mistakes sellers make is they pay a listing agent and don’t take their advice.  A listing agent has seen what works and what doesn’t.  Your house isn’t as special as you think.  If you hired a good agent you should follow their advice and trust their judgement.

I’ll close with a reminder to REALTORS.  Communicate with your client.  The most common complaint from homeowners is that they list a home and then never hear from their agent.  Tell them what’s going on, what you’re doing and how they can help.