J Philip Faranda wrote a post this week that got me thinking. He takes sellers to task for canceling showings. It's a wonderfully humourous post and if you missed it you should really check it out. He makes some great points, but once again I had a WTH? moment. (My second this week). What about the agents? Where do they fit in this picture? I actually have a problem with the concept that the seller should be on top of everything and know how to behave in all situations. Is the seller the one living and breathing real estate? Nope, that's us. That's what they hire us for. Our expertise... And part of that will be dishing out tough love...
Fact: It sucks to be a seller right now. They need our help.
If you don't make it crystal clear to sellers that they need to make showings happen, come what may, then don't be surprised if they think minor inconveniences reason enough to cancel showings.
I like to talk this through right there at the listing appointment. As I'm writing this I can think of occasions when sellers have tried to negotiate with me on times and black out days. I had one client who had a new born baby, a dog and two cats that she needed to pack up every time there was a showing. Seriously inconvenient for sure. When this became too much for her she tried to re-negotiate the showing terms. I agreed that it was a real pain, but stuck with what I had told her before: If she was serious about selling her home she needed to be as flexible as possible. Ultimately she needed to vent. She was frustrated and I was her sounding board. Making it clear to her that buyers rarely go back once they miss out on seeing a house was all I needed to do. She didn't know that. She was only looking at it from her own perspective, (and who can blame her for that?)
Yes it sucks to be a seller right now!! It's important that the seller price their house right and have it in good condition.
Over the years, I've met a few sellers who seem surprised that theirs is not the only home a prospective buyer is looking at. It can indeed be a rude awakening for them.
That's the point Cheryl. They don't live and breathe real estate like we do. How would they know? Unless we tell them that is.
Michael ~ Absolutely. The house needs to be priced right, looks better than everything else on the block and REALLY flexible showing times. Not a fun time for sellers, but pretty much the only way to ensure their home rises to the top of the heap.
"Tough love" for sellers - love that concept! And, you are right - we live this stuff, they do not and we need to be sure they understand it. All of it.
Exactly Susan. That's what I'm talking about. It's a lot for anyone to take in and we need to make sure they understand it. All of it. (Nicely put).
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