Are you working with or against your Realtor when selling your home?
I know that this sounds like a strange question, but after 40 years as a real estate broker, I’ve found that this question may be quite appropriate. Let me give you some examples of sellers who work against their agent and you can draw your own conclusions.
UNREALISTIC PRICE: Many sellers won’t listen to the actual market facts about how much their home is worth. They have their own ideas of what price they want for their house, so they instruct their Realtor to list their house at a price that is really out of the market. Because most buyers are quite knowledgeable today, very few of them will give an overpriced property any serious consideration. After a period of no or few showings, the seller begins complaining to the listing agent that he or she is not doing their job, but no Realtor can get a buyer excited about seeing a home that is obviously overpriced.
POOR CONDITION: Clean houses sell much faster and for more money than ones that are not as well kept. Even if a house needs updating, buyers like to linger longer in a home that is clean and comfortable. On the other hand, they want to escape if the house is not in good order. In today’s busy times, it is difficult for many people who work outside the house to keep it in tip top shape all the time. If this is your situation, you may consider hiring a temporary cleaning service to come in once a week and give the house a thorough cleaning. At minimum, learn to contain living in as few as rooms as possible while your home is on the market so you can have your home show-ready without cleaning up too many areas.
SHOWINGS: Naturally it’s best to be gone when your house is being shown. Some sellers disrupt showings. They really don’t mean to do that, but it is not unusual for the seller to take over the Realtor’s duties by personally escorting the buyers through the house or feel obligated to tell the buyer about their favorite parts of the house that they feel that the Realtor might be missing. This can often make the buyers feel quite uncomfortable and anxious to get out of the house as soon as they can.
ADVICE: When you hire a professional to do a job that you know is beyond your expertise, allow them to do it! Your Realtor knows the market – listen to them. Whether you have a good location or your home is dressed for success, price is key. In my experience, I have found that there is a Jack for every Jill and a buyer for every home. Price your home per the current market, allow your Realtor to guide you in preparing your home for market, and then stay out of the way and let them do their job. Go ahead and greet the buyers when they arrive if you must, but then immediately excuse yourself and go for a walk until they leave. If you’ve hired the right agent and trust their abilities, I can assure that you will be very pleased with the results. And soon you’ll moving on to the next chapter of your life.
