Losing Trust When You Put a Positive Spin on Everything

I wrote a post about this topic a few years ago about my personal experience with my buyers.

You certainly opened an important discussion - I agree completely that a Realtor who is only spouting platitudes and sunshine is going to lose the trust of their clients.  'Nuff said. 

Tim,  I can see that your point, being overly optimistic with no couter points, can cause others to feel that you are not being 100 percent truthful. In your specific example, a marketing video, it is not the presenters goal to be 100 percent truthful, it is their goal to secure clients. In general,  it is not always the agent's responsibility to comment, positive or negative, on every home features, including location, since sometimes they are obvious and not hidden. When information or isues within a home are hidden or concealed from the other party is when the Agent should voice their concern and opinion to protect their client's interest, whether positive or negative.

When representing clients, you must be realistic, that is part of being honest. I'd discuss problems that may arise with an exit strategy immediately to potential buyers but the end decision is ultimately up to them. Price point is often a deciding point and can trump all other factors.

Certainly a thought-provoking post. I thinkm you are syaing we shoul always be realistic. I agree with that. Sometimes we let our enthusiasm for our listings get the better of us. Happy New Year to all! 

Agreed.  I want to know both sides and that is what I tell my buyers.  I will point out the features of the house that are on their must have list, but I will also point out the things that are lacking.  It is important to remind our clients so that they don't miss something that is important to them.  Sometimes the buyers get mixed up after seeing too many homes.  I had a couple once argue about which home had the fireplace that they both wanted.  They were both wrong.  :)  As far as cemeteries go, I have not had anyone outright say no to a home located near one.  

Interesting post Tim Maitski . I understand both sides. However, I lived next to a cemetery for about 7 years. I never had any negative feelings living next to one. It was like living next to a park only quieter. 

As for property values... I would comp the home the same as others in that same neighborhood.  This would take in any devaluation (if there is any) into consideration. This is where the conversation would come into play about the perception of most people and cemeteries. If the house was comped like a home next to a golf course instead of the actual neighborhood it is listed in, I would have that conversation with my buyer and proceed with an offer that reflects the proper value of the neighborhood. 

As for my opinion, it does not matter. It is all about the buyer. If they get the hee-bee-gee-beez when you mention "cemetery" then I should not be showing them property like that.  This seems pretty straight forward to me. 

As a seller's agent - I will point out all the great amenities it has to offer and most importantly,  price it based on the value of other homes in the neighborhood where the cemetery is located. 

Tim Maitski  If you have a good relationship with them I would think you would want to make them aware of both scenario's .. Good point

Good discussion Tim Maitski   All houses with all kinds of quirks do sell. 

 I specialize in  hard to sell homes. Those next to a cemetery, next to the beltway, next to railroad tracks. 2 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms, a basement kitchen, etc.etc.

Someone who does not want to live next to, or even drive by, a cemetery will not look at the property. Same with a noisy freeway or train or a stigmatized property.

When selling a home adjacent to a cemetery...I found there are  some special and interesting people who appreciate the location  including writers and some artists to name a few.

The train track home was purchased by a former train conductor and he felt he hit the lottery when he found this one. 

We can find the positive and the negative about each and every property. Present and let the buyer decide.

PS...It is kind of hard to hide or ignore the cemetery

I always let my folks know that I will always share the good, the bad and the ugly with them. I even had to tell one guy that if he wanted an agent who only told him what he wanted to hear, then I wasn't the right agent. LOL (He finally started listening) 

By the way, love the comments you have going on here. Fascinating to watch and read  :-)

Tim Maitski This discussion hs inspired my latest post. 

The drive under garage (if there is living space on the same level) is a positive for accessibility..also easy to install a stair glide. 

Again...good comments and discussion.

I would have made the same joke about quiet neighbors.

I confused about everything else. There is a neighborhood in my market area that has a small family cemetery right in the middle of the subdivision. The residents actually like it because of the privacy. It's semi-grown up and difficult to see from the street. No-one seems to mind the cemetery. So, it would be up to the buyer to determine whether or not it was a negative feature.

Pros:

1. Quiet location
2. Well Manicured lawns
3. Constantly changing floral arrangement
4. Front row seats to the Zombie Appocolypse

Cons:

1. Neighboring lots have no resale value
2. If a military cemetary, 21 gum salutes could be negative for those with PTSD
3. Very narrow lots in adjacent community
4. Commercial zoned recycling facility - Earth to earth - dust to dust?

Sorry, but my mind works in mysterious ways!

If a buyer has an issue with living next to a cemetary, I don't think any salesmanship, marketing, or price reductions will change their mind.

Some people are optimistic, many are pessimistic and the rest are simply annoying or procrastinators, however, from securing information from these people, we'll discover if an opportunity is suitable for them or not.

Trust IMO, is earned from the things you say and do before illustrating a particular presentation. If an objection is raised and it's a major concern, advising a prospect to reject an opportunity makes more sense to me than raising an issue that may or might not be objectionable. 

While I do not like negativity the down side must be espoused or at a minimum acknowledged sometimes... well put!

I have a home listed right now--beautiful home, well priced, however, you can hear some highway noise from the exterior.  That is the main objection for buyers. Yet there are so many positives--including a walking path down the block along a lake that leads to a nice shopping/restaurant district.  Kudos to that agent for looking at the location a bit differently--I do agree with you however, that as an agent, you should point out the pros and cons of location.

I've listed houses bordering cemeteries. Spin is spin and is transparent. Let the market decide.

Dear Tim,

Personally, a cemetary would not bother me, but I realized that not all people have the same taste, when buyers raved about a deep green carpet that did not thrill me at all. Good to find out, what a particular set of clients likes or does not like. That way, you can make them reasonably happy within their budget.

Tim, cool blog. I am a big fan and student of Google's always - changing rules on what they and their spiders and crawlers like in blogs for its SEO rankings. (Don't forget about that stuff).

A real estate niche: buyers of homes near a cemetary. That niche may to small to pursue.

I have a friend who specializes in selling  burial plots for cemeteries.. He will also facilitate the sale of an individually owned plot that is no longer wanted by the owner.

Real estate is valuable and cemetery plots are real estate.