In the past week, we have received over 12 inches of snow in our part of Iowa. And this is normal for our winter months. Especially now that with the snow cover, the temperatures are in the teens and with the wind chill, well below zero. I was showing homes on Monday to a relocation buyer, which was a holiday for many people. It was cold. And the houses that we wanted to see were all vacant except for one. Because the last one was occupied, I had tried several times on Sunday to schedule a time to see it before the buyers had to head back to Minneapolis. Because there was no school, it was cold, and the seller was going to be home, they would not allow the showing no matter what time I tried.
Now, understand that the roads were not in bad condition. It had snowed on Saturday and by Sunday the roads were clear. There was no reason that the seller could not pack up the kids and the dog and go somewhere for an hour. Instead, my buyers crossed the home off their list and bought another home without seeing this one. Was it worth it?
I received a call from the listing agent today asking if my buyer wanted to reschedule the showing. Ummmm. Nope. Something was lost in translation or they did not believe that my buyer NEEDED to see their home that day or not at all. I was clear with the listing agent and to the seller through the comments in Showing Time, that my buyer was only there for the weekend and leaving by noon on Monday. The buyers were here to buy and wanted to write an offer before they headed back. And they did.
During the winter months, there are not as many buyers out looking for the heck of it. They are the most serious buyers, especially when they are not from the area and have a limited time to look at homes. Add that to the lower inventory and you have a great time to sell! If you deny the showing, they will move on to another home that is available. It is important to consider what you are missing when you say no to a showing.
I would love to talk to you about the best way to position your home on the market. Call me today to see if we can make your move happen in 2019!
Keep Smiling!
Karen
