On the Market Forever and No Offer? Don't Despair!

Looking through our MLS this morning I see a lot of properties with LOOONG DOMs (Days on the Market). I bet the sellers are unhappy. Staying on the market forever is frustrating. Hope dies last but there is a point...

Presenting a home for sale is in essence not much different from presenting a meal: You can take the same ingredients, mash them all together for an unappetizing mush and they will nourish the same as the beautifully garnished and well placed presentation. But the beauty of a good presentation will for sure make the meal much more enjoyable and appealing to order and eat than the mush.

So what can you do as a seller when your home does not find a lover?

Sit down with your broker and ask for a truly honest opinion. Your broker might avoid telling you the truth because you might not have reacted favorably to such hints in the past and he or she does not want to loose your listing. But not talking and not listening to the truth is not an option in this market.

Here is a list of questions for your agent:

a) can I please get a fresh Market Analysis from you, showing me what comparable houses have sold for in the last 3-6 months?

b) do you have any suggestions what to change inside my home to make it more attractive?

c) should I get a staging consultation?

d) Is there anything detrimental here that keeps people from buying my house?

e) Can I get verbatim feedback from brokers who have shown the house?

f) What do you honestly think about the price?

g) are our pictures good enough compared to other listings

There are many more questions but it is a good start. In all honesty it should be part of good service from your broker to initiate this. But not all brokers are the same. If you feel you are not getting anywhere with your questions maybe the two of you are not so compatible and you need to look for a better working relationship. But encouraging your broker to tell you the truth and step it up a notch can only help both of you.

Every home can be sold and it is not only a lower price that will help with that. Presentation and Exposition play THE role in selling. The more appealing a presentation is and the easier it is accessible for buyers the higher the chance to sell.