"Truth is a double edged sword that can hurt when you are not prepared to hear the news."  There is so much difficulty when listing a home in this current market.  There are loads of homes that you have to compete with in foreclosures, bank owned, short sales and new homes that have been sitting for a while un occupied.  In many areas... comps of foreclosures are putting a major drag on prices.  After months of a home on the market you hammer out a a contract only to find the home does not appariase, the buyer lost their job or buyer and seller cannot come to terms on the inspection items.  We are not dealing wihtrelocation buyers we had just a few years ago.  They do not have to buy!  This is not even counting the issue of a buyer losing their job just before the scheduled closing.  So do you sugar coat the current market conditions or lay it out on the line?Those that paint a brighter picture of price and sale may win the listing and lose the sale because they have set the seller up with unrealistic expectations.

So when you are on your listing presentation, there are a few ways to overcome false market notions and present the seller with a realistic view of what you will be up against while selling their home.  An informed seller that is informed may become a 'Team player!' 

There is more to life than winning the listing!  We have to be professionals, and provide full current market data!  Then we must offer our interpretation of the market, marketing, pricing, appearance, terms and reality based upon our experience.  It is also good to share with the sellers the other agent's possible methodology of 'buying the listing.'

How do we accomplish this?  Ask a lot of questions.  Have you purchased another home?  Are you currently employed?  Are you current on your mortgage payments? Taxes? etc...!  Sometimes the conversations are sobering, and that is a good thing.  It is not meant to scare or frighten the sellers but rather to inform them.  It separates real estate hype from reality.  It also separates the real estate professional from those that deliver empty promises.