The Sellers Want to Know WHAT?! That's Good News
A recent meeting with some homeowners who plan to list their home in this market was impressive. The listing presentation was conversational and interactive, rather than a canned, page by page treatise on me, my company and all the wonderful things I can offer - blah blah blah. No one cares and I don't do it. It's all about THEM and their needs, not me.
The meeting was essential for these homeowners to understand what is going on in their micro-market - the homes that are their direct competitors, what is selling (or not), and how they need to respond to get the most for their property so they can move on with their life goals. Providing information and responding to THEIR questions was the critical focus of our meeting.
And of course I let them know that we (meaning me, and them) do not determine the price their house will sell at...the market does that. And no matter how much I advertise and network, if the price is wrong, all the marketing in the world will not do a thing.
These sellers are savvy. They have been through the buying and selling routine a few times. But this market is different. I share some of the questions and the issues we discussed to help educate others who are going to sell.
What price do you think we should list it at? Good - while they had some thoughts, they wanted to know what the market was really saying. And the strategy vis-a-vis the other homes in the immediate neighborhood that are for sale (under the competition) to best position themselves
How long do you think it will take our home to sell? Always a tough one, but we discussed the current inventory and rate of sales (only 1 of 7 listed homes in the community sell each month - don't you want to be in that 14% that go into escrow?), among other statistics and trends in the local market. We may go take a look at the competitors (they saw 1 at an open house) so they can see face-to-face how those homes compare
How should we handle scheduling showings? Should we require notice (one of them works at home)? How much time? We talked about being as available as possible, even if notice is required so buyers and agents will not be frustrated.
READ MORE:
How to Make it Easy to Sell Your Carlsbad home (Availability)
Carlsbad Sellers - Don't Be Saboteurs
Pets - they have 2 wonderful small dogs, but they know the pets NEED to be gone when showing are to occur. Not hidden in a room or in the backyard. And they remember what it was like when THEY were going on showings and pets were around. Doggies will be gonzo.
Buyer Behavior and offers - we discussed that due to competition many buyers are being extremely fussy, they notice deferred maintenance (and start subtracting from offers or worse), and they are making low offers. This is to be expected. They need to take care of maintenance issues NOW. And be prepared for offers that are not what they hope for.
Depersonalizing - they need to start packing now (yep the committed to doing that) and get rid of personal items and clutter (they asked what should go, so we will go through a list of things that need to disappear into the boxes I can supply them) that will detract from how well their home can show. This MUST be done before listing and showing. And so we can take lots of interior and exterior photos and videos. I reminded them that the first open house is on-line and there won't be a second chance.
Disclosures - we also discussed, preliminarily, what will need to be disclosed about the property
Looks like timing will be after the holidays, to get it all ready and have the home show its best. They have a copy of my Pre-listing Kit and Sellers Handbook (downloadable from my website) so they know what's coming. Marketing will be prepared, a photographer brought in (this home deserves a professional), price will be decided and we will have sellers who are committed to making this sale happen.
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If I can provide more information about Carlsbad and surrounding areas, or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.
All content copyright © 2008 Jeff Dowler Carlsbad Homes and Real Estate Tidbits
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