She told me she could sell my house -- how come I'm still living in it?
Wow. Off-hand, I don't know. But I can make a few guesses based on my experience.
Is your home priced properly for it's condition, your area and the current market conditions? Over-pricing a home is one of the top reasons it doesn't sell. Did your Agent share the area comps with you? Did you both pay attention to them and price your home accordingly? Or did your Agent engage in false hope and agree to list your home at the price you wanted, comps be damned?
Is your home in good repair or does it need a great deal of work? Have you de-cluttered and made the home feel welcoming to prospective Buyers? Even if it needs work, you can take steps to minimize the feeling of "Eeeek" by cleaning it up and keeping it that way. And are you sure to disclose, up front, that it needs work? If your Agent doesn't bother mentioning it in the MLS, and a Buyer steps inside un-prepared, you've probably lost them. Don't scare 'em off, tell the truth.
Are you making the home easy to show? Are you putting so many conditions on the showing, ie: Agent accompany, 24 hour notice, don't let pets in/out; that some Buyers are just bypassing your house? Are you hanging out at the home while it's being shown? Buyers don't like that. They want some space to look and try to imagine themselves in the home. Hard to do with you there.
What's your marketing plan look like? Have you seen the photos your Agent is using? Have you gone over the copy she's written to be sure it adequately describes your home? You should trust your Agent to do this properly, but it never hurts to have an extra set of eyes go over it and be certain the photos and ad copy are showing your home in it's best light.
Let's not forget that today's Real Estate Market is a challenge. That alone could be the reason your home hasn't sold. Sometimes, no matter how hard you or your Agent work to get your home sold, it doesn't. Call it the Fickle Finger of Fate if you'd like, sometimes that really is the answer.
If you'd like to out-smart that old Fickle Finger of Fate, you should see if any of the above describe your situation. If they do, take steps to correct them -- immediately. Buyers are looking, homes are selling and there really is no reason yours shouldn't be one of them.
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