Most people would say that home sellers should welcome any and all showings. After all, if a home buyer and her agent take the time to visit a property than they presumably have some interest in buying it. Isn't everyone just too busy these days to waste time?
But many buyers can't seem to make a decision. Some buyers want to see all the homes on the market, sometimes two or three times each. They worry about prices still dropping and that the perfect house will be the "next one"or maybe in another subdivision or town.
Younger home buyers can be more immersed in internet research than some of us can imagine. They are skeptical of authority and seek out many sources of information. These buyers analyze, re-analyze and finally hit the wall of information overload. Then they turn from their computers to their social networks for support.
Today it isn't unusual to show homes first to Ms. Buyer, then to her fiancee (they work on different schedules), then to Ms. Buyer and her sister, then to the fiancee and his parents. A listing recently had three showings on the same day in a round robin of participants. I felt bad for the agent who was shuffling these shifting groups of people back and forth across town while everyone voted and gave advice. I also felt bad for the seller who quickly cleared out each time the phone rang for another showing. We learned later in the week that the buyer wasn't ready to make a decision yet. Frustrating.
Realistic sellers are sympathetic with buyers who are afraid to make a decision -- but only up to a point. Many sellers think that they are "giving away" their cherished home and become impatient with the seemingly endless requests for showings, repair receipts and inspections. And so the sellers ask, "whatever happened to people just buying a house they like and can afford?"
So what do you think? Will you do anything different in the up-coming Spring market?
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