This happens quite a bit in my market. The buyers see a home that they like and they naturally want to know everything that they can about the neighborhood. This is definitely a buying signal!
Now for a real life example, Buyer comes through my listing with their agent. Based on the agent's perception and conversation with the buyers at the end of the showing, he completed the feedback requested by ShowingTime. His feedback was that the yard was a dealbreaker for them, but they really liked the house. Less than an hour later, my seller called me. They had talked to their neighbor. The neighbor was out shoveling his driveway and the potential buyers stopped to talk to him after their agent had already left. They told the neighbor that they loved the house and that they were planning to make an offer. So my sellers knew more than the buyers' agent! Several hours later, the agent contacted me to let me know that they were writing an offer, which I already knew, but I did not tell him that.
Long story short, the sellers and I knew WAY MORE about the buyer's situation than we should have. We knew from the offer that their current home was under contract. But we also knew why they were moving and that they had not been able to find any other homes that they could agree on. Do you think that the seller accepted their initial offer? Nope, they countered at a higher price because they knew that the buyers are in a difficult position with little to no other options.
When I represent buyers, this is why I educate them on things to say or not say, do or not do. I don't want them all over social media talking about how much they love the house. You never know how many "friends" that you and the sellers have in common. I don't want them in the open house in front of the sellers' agent placing their furniture and gushing about the house. If you do those things, be prepared to lose your ability to negotiate and you may pay more than you should. Just like talking to the neighbor who then tells the seller everything about you! You just never know.
Lesson learned and reaffirmed. Mums the word until the paperwork is signed, accepted and delivered. Then you can scream it from the top of the mountains! There is a time and place for sharing your experiences and in this case, it is later!
Keep smiling!
Karen
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