"1-3 Don't work For Me", and Other Stupid Things Sellers Do

 Selling a house in this market is tough enough, but when sellers introduce barriers the process can become impossible. Here are a few seller gems I have experienced lately.

1) Not Accepting a reasonable showing window-- An agent called the office to schedule a showing between 1-3pm. Naturally the seller though such a range was ridiculous and demanded an exact time. Why do agents ask for a range, because buyers are human. As such, we cannot tell exactly how long a showing will take. They love the house? The showing may be thirty minutes. They hate the house, think five minutes. Both throw a wrench into scheduling.

2) Insisting to be present for all showings--Nobody knows your house better than you. Nobody sells your house better than a Realtor. Buyers tend to clam up when a seller is present. As such, it becomes difficult for the agent to determine the level of interest the buyer may have. Just because you talked for twenty minutes does not mean we had a good showing. Let the professionals do their job.

3) Leaving the dog in the utility room-- Not investing 20 bucks in a kennel reservation might cost you a 200k home contract! When strangers enter a dog's space they bark, until the intruder leaves. This is great for middle of the night security, not some much for marketing a home!

4) Retaining all sorts of goodies-- I saw a listing recently where the owner was keeping the  dishwasher. There was no mention of a replacement. I guess most buyers can overlook a giant hole in the cabinet! And don't think buyers will notice that you replaced the stainless steal unit with a 199 dollar Kenmore.

5) Making the sell contingent on the seller finding another house-- Frankly this worked in a hot market. Got the only 4 bedroom ranch on a cul-de-sac? Then perhaps you are in the driver's seat. But with bloated inventory (think TEN 4 bedroom ranch homes on a cul-de-sac) properties with crazy clauses are simply marked off the showing list.

 Selling a home can be a stressful life event. By taking the time to think about how your actions are perceived by buyers hopefully the process can be as smooth as possible. Best wishes!