St. Patrick's Day Observations on Real Estate Luck
Luck. Good luck. Bad Luck. No luck at all. That lucky dog!
Some people believe heavily in luck, some not so much...those engineers and data driven people, you know who you are!
We're believers in making our own luck. Decisions made and actions executed go a long way towards creating our own luck! In real estate, luck doesn't really have that much to do with the successful sale or purchase of a home.
Sellers start making their own luck when they first purchase their home years prior. Did they pick a good neighborhood? Great schools? Not overpay? Not take the worst lot in the neighborhood just to get a "good buy"? Not use their home as an ATM machine for new cars, boats and vacations? Do value added updates to the home? Keep up with maintenance?
And when the Sellers are ready to sell their home, did they do their best to prepare their home for the market? Fresh paint, maybe carpet, declutter and stage? Select a REALTOR® with a track record of success and a strong marketing plan? Listen to their REALTOR® and price competitively? Cooperate with showings once on the market? (YES, it's a pain, but we never told you it would be EASY). Negotiate in good faith and not out of emotion? (YES, the offer is INSULTINGLY LOW, but let's at least give them an opportunity to come up!) Be flexible with closing date and occupancy date? And this list goes on....
All this and more creates "LUCK". The neighbor down the street NOT doing these things may be crying about how UNLUCKY they are while you're signing papers at the closing table!
Buyers create their own luck too! By realizing credit and finance work needs to be done UP FRONT, not after finding the dream house. By selecting ONE agent to work with, one that WILL work for them to find that home! By figuring out their MUST HAVES and NICE TO HAVES. By recognizing paint and wallpaper can be changed, and the seller's "stuff" leaves with them! By being prepared to act IMMEDIATELY once they find the right home! By being willing to write a FAIR offer instead of trying to STEAL every home! By understanding older homes aren't going to be perfect....and maybe not newer homes either. By having a good inspector to protect their interests. By being willing to work through the obstacles to closing.
These Buyers will have the keys to their new home while other buyers are crying about how unlucky they are and how the homes they want keep getting sold to OTHER buyers!
And REALTORS®? We make our own luck too! By working hard every day, earning that reputation that gives our sellers and buyers a reason to recommend us to their friends and family! By prospecting for new business! By developing a marketing plan that gives the Sellers a reason to choose YOU over the other 6,000 agents in your market area! By blogging, by social media, by that strong Web presence that helps potential buyers and sellers find us! By recognizing what works, what doesn't and adapting your plans! By continually learning! By ANSWERING the phone! By responding to emails! And the beat goes on.....
The REALTORS® that do these things and more, will be the "lucky" ones while their competitors stand around the water cooler grousing about how bad the market is!
So do you want to make your own luck today? Work at it! :)
Serving Warren County's residential real estate needs with no Blarney!
Liz and Bill aka O'BLiz
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