Buyers and Sellers Are Not So Different, Stop treating Them That Way!

We often hear complaints from agents and transaction participants, Buyers and sellers are not on the same page. Yes they are if you educate them.

Stats

There are some basic statistics that we all know buyers and sellers want (and/or need) to know, in every market climate. The average number of days a home stays on the market (DOM), average list price-to-sale price ratio: these and other stats are part of every good agents tutorial for understanding the market, and listing and making offers.

Knowledge

There should be "No Surprises" for the sellers. You should first get a home inspection. It is much easier and less expensive to repair when not under a lot of pressure and one has time to get quotes or perhaps fix some things themselves. Buyers with out question should always get a home inspection. I cannot tell you the horror stories I have heard from buyers who bought a home and did not get or got a less than an acceptable home inspection.

Next sellers should go ahead and get an appraisal. Though there is no guarantee that the house will sell for that price, it is nice to know the range. Yes you can do a market analysis, but it is good to know what a bank appraiser thinks. They are often a wealth of information when hired outright, and charge half of what a bank usually charges to get one for a loan.

The buyer automatically gets one with loan application.

Next have the home staged. I know it is beautiful just the way it is. But often a professional stager sees things you would not see.

They can make small recommendations that will bring you much more money at closing. A new light fixture, some new hardware on cabinets, moving a piece of furniture that is blocking a windows view or light, and de-cluttering, are just some of the examples that often adds 1000s of dollars to a sales price. Homes that are staged sell quicker and for more money.

Buyers after you buy a home spend a few hundred dollars on a stager to come recommend what things you can do in the future to add value to you home as an investment. That advice will really pay off when you start remodeling or improving on one of lifes biggest investment.

See buyers and sellers are not so different. In fact,  agents should treat them more alike.