*Individual Results May Vary - How many times have we seen that small print on offers and advertising?
Well, it's that time of year where we sit down and reflect on what has happened in the past 12 months. For me, it was a good year. But I did have those two listings that never sold. And when I think about them, I wonder if "Individual Results May Vary" is a disclaimer I should put on my listing presentation!
I promise my sellers that I will work as hard as I possibly can to get their home sold for the most money possible, in the shortest time frame with the best terms. But I expect the sellers to work with me to attain those goals!
So why didn't those two listings sell? All of these things occurred on one or both of the listings:
- Pricing: This was the biggie. Both sellers "knew" what their homes were truly worth and scoffed at my detailed analysis. But what am I to know? Neither would budge on their unrealistic expectations.
- Smoking: I'm not trying to get you to quit smoking. I'm trying to get you to quit smoking in the house you are trying to sell. Face the facts - people don't want to buy homes that reek of cigarette smoke.
- Pet odors: Don't get me wrong, I love pets. I have three. But when you're a pet owner trying to sell a home, you have to work ten times as hard to make it seem that it is a pet free home. In one of these cases the dog smell was overpowering. But the owner refused to use Febreeze because "it gave her asthma." (See above - this was from the heavy smoker!)
- Condition: A 1974 bathroom with a fresh coat of paint is not a remodeled bathroom. Really. And laminated fake butcher block kitchen cabinets will not wow buyers. So when you want top dollar (see above), the condition better be perfect!
- Style: I'm sure you liked your sky blue ceilings with your maroon walls. Lime green sculptured carpeting set things off nicely. And the peel and press tiles in what should have been a hardwood foyer ("for the dogs" - see above) may have been practical to you, but it's not what buyers want to see.
I'm no shrinking violet. I pointed out all of these items to the sellers. Unfortunately, my advice was not heeded. And the homes never sold. I run into both sellers periodically. We chat about the weather, their kids and other mundane stuff. But we don't talk about real estate. Because they know I'm not going to take their listing again if they decide they want to try and sell again. Unless they do it my way.
So while I'd like to tell every one of my sellers that I am going to get their home sold - Individual Results May Vary!
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