Sellers: You Owe It To Yourself to Ask This Question

You have prepared your home for sale. Your Realtor® listed it in the MLS. People come to see it, so you feel like it is priced reasonably, but after several weeks, there hasn't been any serious interest. Is it something you are doing or just a slow market?

This fall and winter, I saw perfectly good homes that were well prepared and well priced sit on the market. The truth is that it is very competitive out there and there are fewer serious and well-qualified buyers out there than we saw in the past. Those who are out there are both serious and well-qualified, but also nervous--and picky!

So what is the question that you as a seller should be asking your Realtor®?

THE QUESTION IS:   Is there anything that I am doing that might be showcasing my home in a less than perfect way?

This is not always information that is easy for a Realtor® to convey. Sometimes it has to do with your personal habits or cultural background and that can be very difficult for people to discuss. They may sympathize with your personal situation and not want to inconvenience you.

How could things you are doing be negatively impacting the sale of your home? Here are some general examples:

1. You have a tough time getting around so you let your Realtor know that you will be staying in the home during showings.
2. You work from home and cannot be interrupted by showings so you have listed the showing availability of your home as, 'by appointment only.'
3. Your family's favorite dishes involve curry and you make dinner at home almost every night ( you can substitute other odorous food like fish, or fried food for curry). You don't think it smells too bad...you love it!
   
4. The cat has become a problem and doesn't like to use her litter box all the time...you try to get it cleaned up every night, but the smell lingers.
5. The dog is a barker. You leave her in the garage, but you can't stop her from barking.
6. Work has become super busy and you just don't have time to make sure the beds are made each morning.
7. Electricity is expensive, so when someone calls for a showing, you turn on all the lights, but ask the Realtor® to turn all of them off all the lights before he/she leaves.
   
8. You love the variety of smells available with plug-ins and sprays. In fact, you use a different scent in each room. Your house is a pot-potpourri of different smells and scents!
   
9. Your father, who lives with you is a smoker, and you don't want to have to ask him to smoke outside, so you allow him to smoke in his room.
10. You have a large overseas family and they will be visiting while the house is for sale. Several folks are sharing the couches in the family room, but you think it will be okay since they keep their suitcases in the corner.
    

As you can see from this list, none of these things are outrageous behavior, but they are all specific concerns that I have heard from a buyer or a Realtor® after they have seen a property. Think about how things that you do every day might impact the experience of seeing your home--through the eyes of someone who has never been there and doesn't know you.

The process of selling your home is not the same as the process of owning your home. You may need to modify your short-term behavior and habits to achieve your long-term goals. It is far easier to do this BEFORE you list your home rather than be faced with doing it while the house is already listed and buyers have already rejected your house.

Remember, the more well prepared your home is for marketing, the faster it is likely to sell. The same goes for the sellers; the more well prepared a seller is for the marketing period, the more quickly their home is likely to sell.