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Seller, Don't Start Second Guessing Yourself

Reblogger Lenn Harley
Real Estate Agent with Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate 303829;0225082372

A TYPICAL CASE OF A BUYER LOSING A GOOD HOME!!

Debbie Reynolds relates a case where the buyer negotiated with himself and lost.

Which is why I've said for years, the consumer understands absolutely nothing about real estate  sales.  In fact, they are often their worse enemy.

Far many buyers and sellers, negotiating is far more important to them than price.

I remember a buyer who made an offer and the seller countered to full price.  Since the house was underpriced anyway, I was fine.  The buyer rejected the offer not because they didn't believe that the value was there but because, "He won't negotiate."

Courtesy, Lenn Harley, Broker, Homefinders.com, 800-711-7988, serving home buyers in Loudoun County VA.

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Original content by Debbie Reynolds, C21 Platinum Properties TN Broker: 208698

Negotiating and strategizingSeller, Don't Start Second Guessing Yourself.

We have all seen it happen. The agent comes in with the most recent comps to discuss listing the house. A pricing strategy is discussed and staging and showing conditions are laid out. The seller is excited and on board and asks how long the agent thinks it will take to sell.

This question doesn't come easy. It is hard to know because we have seen beautiful homes priced right sit on the market for months. So the agent answers that it depends on the buyer pool, market condtions and competition. It could be rather quick or it could take weeks or months. You don't know until we put it on the market for buyers to see.

All is now ready and the house goes on the market. Thankfully the seller has done all the things requested of him to make the home show its best. The agent takes some great photos and launches the marketing campaign in a big way.

Then it happens. A call comes in and a buyer wants to see the home today. The seller scurries out of the house after making sure everything looks in order. The buyer stays a couple of hours and is really loving the house. He leaves with his agent to go put an offer together. The offer is sent to the listing agent and she notifies the seller.

The seller is so happy, happy, happy. Someone likes his house, boy that didn't take long at all. He thinks to himself that he did a really great job getting it ready and he has the best house on the block. Why shouldn't the buyer like it after all he spent thousands in upgrades that the listing agent said he wouldn't get back? He even had a professional stager come in and make it a showplace. This cost him lots of money too. 

The agent arrives to present the offer. The seller's enthusiasm has now cooled. The agent goes over the price and terms of the offer. The buyer's offer is just a little under full price and he asked for a condition or two. Now the seller doesn't seem nearly as anxious or excited. He is almost indignant and states, I think we priced it too low. That happened too quickly.

The agent explains that the correct pricing produced the offer. The seller says There have got to be more buyers out there that are willing to pay more. The agent remains calm on the outside but is getting tenser by the minute.

More of her negotiating skills are used to try to calm the seller and tell him what a good offer it is so he will be reasonable. The seller is digging his heels in, If the buyer wants my house, he will pay my price with no conditions. 

The agent encourages a small compromise here or there in a counteroffer. The seller says No. So a counteroffer is sent back at full price with all conditions removed. There was no giving at all on the seller's side. The seller again says, The buyer will pay my price or he can buy someplace else. There will be other buyers. We are not in that big a hurry anyway.

The Buyer interprets the counteroffer correctly and does just that. He buys a house down the street that has been on the market a few weeks longer where the seller would do a little negotiating.

Meantime, the listing agent continues with an aggressive marketing campaign but the word has gotten out through the neighbors and real estate community that this is a difficult seller that won't budge. When a contract is finally negotiated, the seller nets out  thousands less than anticipated and it took months to get it closed.

Seller, Don't Start Second Guessing Yourself. Be willing to negotiate and trust what your agent tells you all the way through.

Sellers in the Clarksville area, if you need an agent that can advise you on negotiations and protect your interests, then contact Debbie Reynolds at 931-920-6730.

 

Photo by markuso/freedigitalphotos.net.

 

Want To Know What Debbie Has to Say? 

If you are needing Real Estate services in Clarksville TN it would be my pleasure to assist you!

 

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"The Real Debbie Reynolds" at
BuyorSellClarksville.com

Prudential PenFed Realty, 2503 Wilma Rudolph Blvd., Clarksville, TN 37040

An independently owned and operated member of BRER Affiliated, Inc.

Not affiliated with Prudential. Prudential watermarks used under license.

931-920-6730 (office)   931-320-6730 (cell)

                 

 

 

 

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Comments(13)

Brenda Mullen
RE/MAX Associates - San Antonio, TX
Your San Antonio TX Real Estate Agent!!

I've got a perfect companinion post to this one lol..brings up memories of certain buyer transactions on the same type of topic.  Both sellers and buyers can truly be their own worst enemy.

Jan 17, 2014 04:32 AM
Gene Mundt, IL/WI Mortgage Originator - FHA/VA/Conv/Jumbo/Portfolio/Refi
NMLS #216987, IL Lic. 031.0006220, WI Licensed. APMC NMLS #175656 - New Lenox, IL
708.921.6331 - 40+ yrs experience

Lenn:  We see much the same mindset with mortgages.  Clients think they can always eek out a better deal by calling just one more Lender.  I can't tell you how many times they've lost big dollars doing so ... or even the home they ultimately wanted.  Sometimes enough should be enough ...

Good re-post ...

Gene

Jan 17, 2014 05:05 AM
Brad MacKenzie
Brad MacKenzie - Duxbury, MA
Turning Houses into Homes on the South Shore

It's a sad story. It happens way too frequently. There's no one best way.

Jan 17, 2014 05:15 AM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Brenda.  The consumer simply doesn't understand the dynamics of pricing/offers, etc.Sadly, we can help only as much as they let us.

Gene.  Oh my goodness.  I remember when rates were falling dramatically in the mid 2000s and it was a popular past time for home buyers to SHOP for rates.  Sometimes I had to explain how the rate, points, locks, etc. worked.  Oh well.

Jan 17, 2014 05:15 AM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Brad.  We must begin to build trust with the buyers and sellers from the beginning.  That way they'll more likely take our advice.

Jan 17, 2014 05:27 AM
Jane Peters
Home Jane Realty - Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles real estate concierge services

Yes indeed, Brenda's post shows the other side and how both buyers and sellers always think they could have paid less or gotten more respectively. The buyer is the one that finds the worth in a property in a property in the end as did these buyers. They obviously didn't love the house enough to meet the seller's demands.

Jan 17, 2014 05:53 AM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Jane.  Over the years, I've seen buyers lose some wonderful homes due to procrastination, "want to think about it overnight". 

Of course, not understanding pricing is another.

Jan 17, 2014 07:08 AM
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

Good reblog Lenn,

Buying and selling homes can be stressful times and second guessing is only natural, it is important to have an agent that you know you can trust to steer you to the right decision.

Jan 17, 2014 07:10 AM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Bob.  Indeed it is.  The consumer really needs help, especially home buyers.

Jan 17, 2014 07:14 AM
Karen Fiddler, Broker/Owner
Karen Parsons-Fiddler, Broker 949-510-2395 - Mission Viejo, CA
Orange County & Lake Arrowhead, CA (949)510-2395

Sellers are tricky. If you sell quickly they worry they priced too low. If we take awhile then what am I doing wrong in the marketing. LOL

Jan 17, 2014 07:56 AM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Karen.  That's the way it's always been and probably always will be.

Jan 17, 2014 08:06 AM
George Souto
George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages - Middletown, CT
Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Lenn unfortunately the situation Debbie blogged about is one I hear far to often, and with the same results.  It is a costly way for a Seller to find out they do not know everything, and that they need to listen to the advice of their Realtor.

Jan 17, 2014 09:44 AM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

George.  So do I.  Developing trust between the buyer and an agent is essential for the confidence of a buyer to take good advice.

Jan 17, 2014 09:27 PM