How early can you start bragging about a "Sold"?

The other day, a client knocked on my front door just as the mailman showed up, and right on top of my stack of mail was an "Under Contract in Just 4 Days!" card from an agent who "sold" a very cool house in the neighborhood. 

When my client saw it, she said, "Um, isn't that a little premature?"

The house in question was just wonderful, and I wasn't surprised at all when I heard that it had sold in a bidding war for more than the slightly optimistic list price.  It was a small house, but it had been perfectly renovated by owners with superb taste.  The staging brought out the best in every room.  And the private back yard had a beautiful deck, hot tub and very nice landscaping.

So imagine my surprise when I checked yesterday's brokers' opens, and there is was! 

I'm starting to think that there was something happening astrologically last week.  While I was out on tour yesterday, there were at least six conversations that I overheard from agents who had thought they had firm deals, only to have something fall apart.  There's been a lot of that lately, at least in my market area.

The problem?  It's become quite a challenge for buyers to get an offer accepted.  They almost always face stiff competition from other buyers and have to do things they don't want to do to prevail in a multiple contract situation.  And it's not unusual for them to regret doing whatever it took for a win.

The agents around town who were around in the 2002-2007 years are brushing up their bidding war skills, and newer agents are developing them pretty quickly. 

But we just might be a few steps ahead of our buyer clients!

So when do I sent out "Just Sold!" cards on a listing? 

Um, try the day after it closes and the money is in the sellers' bank account!  Wouldn't want to brag and then look a big foolish!

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