It is NOT impossible to sell a home in today’s market. Homes are still sold every day despite all of the declarations to the contrary. People still need a place to live!
But what is significantly different today is the way a house is sold. Sellers must always remain cognizant of the fact that their home is a product that is competing with many other similar products for scarce buyers.
From first impression to the last look in the attic or basement, the house has to be show-ready and available at all times. Buyers have long lists of potential homes and will readily move on to the next house if the show instructions are appointment only or if a bathroom is left dirty.
It doesn’t take much to set your product apart from the rest, but it does involve deliberate effort that is always directed towards making the property appealing to a potential buyer.
And those that do that on a regular basis will succeed!
All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of Coweta Fayette Real Estate Better Homes and Gardens Metro Brokers, Newnan Georgia. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. Richard Weisser REOS, E-Pro. licensed Auctioneer. 770-827-6225.
Learn more about Coweta County and Fayette County Georgia Real Estate, and to search the entire Georgia MLS for free with no registration required. Visit CowetaFayetteRealEstate.com! Photos of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. North Georgia Photos.
Great article, so true, Sellers who are motivated do what it takes to get their home sold
Hmmm, sounds like a listing I have at the moment. If I could just get a good sized shovel and scoop the 20 year old son out the back door I'd be in good shape!
Richard, your title says it all. It is great to have Sellers who understand that we know what we are talking about when we give suggestions on how to market their home. Good post. --Gloria
Cannot say it enough. Preparation and perseverance go along way in reducing the time on market as well as commanding a higher price. ~ Doug
It takes the seller working with their agent to get a home sold and each has to do their part or failure is imminent.
Great post, if I send you a list of names and phone numbers can you call my sellers and have this chat with them? I am sure I am tuned out by some sellers, kind of like the way my teenagers tune out my nightly chant of "do your homework/pick up your room". At a new listing, I had a stager tell me today "this isn't a property, it's a project". Sigh.....
"show-ready and available at all times" - this is such a great summary of the current market in our area. Thank you for this reminder and well written posting.
Richard, so true. There are some that for some reason just don't get it. Of course they either don't sell, go from Realtor to Realtor, or sell for far less than they could have.
Isn't it amazing, when people buy a used car they expect that it will be all clean and shiny and running well.
Richard...Many of our sellers today bought when things were at a frantic pace and don't understand that things have changed.
Thats right Richard sellers need to explain to me just what makes your house so special.
Richard - Keepin in touch with what is happening in the market is something not all sellers do ..... it sometimes takes a while to get them up to speed
I love when clients say "I want people to know I live here" Okay, can you wipe the tooth paste off the sink, and put your dirty laundry way?
Very good article, thank you for taking the time to write it and sharing it!
Selling a home is WORK! And the homeowners that are willing to work are the successful ones.
You have to do what it takes to sell your home. The more you put into it, the more you will get out of it.
Richard, so true. It's as if some sellers really don't want to sell as they do nothing to enhance the look and view-ability of their homes.
OH, and it helps if the seller actually AGREES to the showing appointment and lets the buyers in!
Richard: Sellers with a raging case of But-My-House will never succeed in a competitive market place. Those sellers want to charge above market value for every little extra they enjoyed while living there, or every upgrade that was made. The market doesn't care about a seller's attachment or affinity for these items. Buyer won't overpay for anything.
Richard - common sense but often overlooked points. Sellers forget that selling a home is not the same as living in it.
Very strong post - quick and to the point!!! The Sellers that listen to agents succeed. I am having a challenging time getting Sellers to understand that the rules have changed.