Sell Your Home in 12 Easy Steps, Step #9

Sell Your Home in 12 easy steps.  Step #9  Showing Your Home To Potential Buyers  (originally posted on the Flexit Realty Blog)

Home Showing is where the difference between a professional real estate agent and a home owner’s become evident.  Home owner’s rare have to show their home, unless a quick family or friend tour, as a quest.

Showing your home to potential buyers is quite another story.  Real Estate Agents are making assessments of the buyer during the meet and greet.  They watch their eyes body language and “listen” for comments.  In short, agents tune into buyers and their actions.

Agent know how to handle the normal negotiation objections.  When buyers first come to a home we home we have three types.

1. The quiet buyer, that nods, hums and looks intently.  They say very little even when engaged.  This is a reader buyer.  They will read everything you hand them.  This is why it is important to have a great brochure with features and benefits to handout.
2. The chatterbox buyer, you hear everything, they don’t read the hardly take a
   Hosting Open Houses, Showing Homes to Buyers, Flexit Realty has Professional Seller Agents www.FlexitRealty.com

   breath.  This is someone you let talk.  When they stop talking an start asking serious questions they are interested in your property!  That’s the time to hand them your disclosures and brochure.

3. The executive, the serious buyer that starts with a barrage of questions and keeps asking questions that have to do with facts about the home.  How old is the roof?   How long have you lived here?  How old is the electric, plumbing, furnace, hot water heater.  What are your heat bills, what are taxes.  How soon can you move?  Is the sell price firm?  They try to set you back on your heels letting you know they know a lot about buying homes.  Most of the time, they don’t, they just know the terms.

You can see selling your home requires preparation.  At this point you must be ready for a variety of buyers.  This is only the buyer’s side of showing your home.

You must also have your home ready for the security of showing your home. Most real estate agents and brokers have insurance to cover theft that could occur during

Bedrooms, Bathrooms and Kitchens are the most vulnerable areas for thieves to target.

a open house or home showing.  Look at easy prey items, not all buyer’s are buyer’s!  Some people pose as buyers looking for prescription drugs or small valuables than can be concealed and taken.  One word of caution, if you are showing your own home, never, never show your home alone!  Real estate agents are trained and even they turn into prey at times.  Have someone else (adult) in the home, in a visible position.  They do not have to say anything.  They just need to be there.

Your home has to be child proofed unless you already have young children living in your home, then your child proofing is done.  Favorite items that could be damaged should also be put away.  Northern climates people wear large coats and turning a sleeve or back of a flowing coat can catch items and knock them over.  The action will not be intentional but the result can leave you with a memorable peace broken.

Makes sure walkways, driveways and in summer months or southern climates the yard is cut edged toy or excess cars are removed.  Some families have young adults with cars.  They should be parked up the street leaving the driveway clear and open.

One last word on showing your home for sale.  Agent are focused on selling your home.  They don’t host a yard sale.  Many homeowner’s during the showing process try to entice buyer’s by throwing in extras.  The seller attempts to create more buyer interest because the buyer showed a little interest in the home.  This tactic is designed to covert the buyer into signing a contract to buy right then.  Real estate professionals know most buyers think about buyers and will want to discuss financing by locking down real numbers they will pay if they buy the home.

Showing your home and offering your dining room table, couch or play equipment, benches could get those items sold and you end up with an empty house, not sold.  Always sell personal items after a sales contract has been signed.  Do the sale of personal items outside of the contract to sell the home.

We didn’t discuss advertising or other issues to generate buyers.  That will be in another series.

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In case you missed earlier "12 Easy Steps Selling Your Home Steps" the active links are below.

1. Estimating your homes value.
2. Who is your homes competition?
3. Deciding to sell with a real estate agent or without.
4. Marketing Methods to expose your home to the maximum number of buyers
5. Property Descriptions, survey and narrative details
6. Preparing the outside of your home for sale.
7. Preparing the inside of your home for sale.
8. Photos, the visual details to attract buyers
9. Showing your home to potential buyers
10. Financing
11. Open Houses.
12. Negotiating Your Purchase Agreement