Today in Zephyrhills, Florida we had our agents tour, or "caravan". For those of you who are not real estate agents, this is the time many of the agents visit the properties that have recently come on the market. Often agents know what their buyers are looking for and when they see something on tour that meets the customers' needs, they can get the home sold quickly.
Of course this does not happen every week, but on several occasions I have seen homes that I knew would make some of my buyers happy. With a call and a visit by the buyers, I had the home under contract before nightfall.
Now, back to today's tour. One of the homes on our tour was in a development where the builder was still erecting more homes. So that is a strike against the sellers since the developer can usually undercut the price of any homeowner. Such was the case today. So going in the listing agents had an uphill battle.
When I got to the home, I heard dogs barking inside. Loose dogs are never a good omen and can scare off buyers and some agents. After several minutes, the door was opened by what I later discovered was a sister of the owners. I gave her my card and she acted like I had leprosy and she was insulted that I had dared to knock on the door. Of course, she and the sellers knew that agents would be dropping by today and the specific hours.
The sister did let me in with two small dogs yipping and jumping on my legs. Of course, Miss Hospitality did nothing to stop them. Now when I say the home was dark, I mean it was DARK! All lights were off and all of the shades and blinds were pulled. I know one of the listing agents and know for a fact that she went by there early in the day to make sure the lights were on and the window shades, etc were open. I could see very little and my host did not seem to care. I did a cursory tour, said "Thank you", and left. Bet you can guess my impression of the home.
Now I was an agent. Suppose I had been there with potential buyers to tour the home. Why would buyers even give this home a second look when they can see bright, beautifully staged, more attractively priced homes with friendly hosts in the same subdivision?? Answer = They would not!
In the past I have written posts on the need to keep light coming into your home when you know that it is going to be visited by agents and/or buyers. No one wants to live in a dungeon and if your home looks like one you will drive people away. The small cost in lighting or extra air-conditioning for an hour or so could make you hundreds or thousands. It could also shorten the time that your home is for sale. Especially in am over-saturated market like we have now.
So, some suggestions:
1. If you, or the person who will be in the home, are in a bad mood or are not feeling well, and cannot be polite and welcoming, make yourself scarce. Go for a walk, send your teenagers to the movies, drive around the block, sit on the back patio, mow the lawn, and basically get out of the picture. Even if you are a warm friendly person, it is usually better if you are not on the scene when the agent is showing your home. But if you cannot be cordial it is even more imperative that you not be present. I am an agent and used to a variety of situations, but the rude young lady in the home today even made me feel like running for the exits. Not something you want buyers to feel.
2. Whether you are home or not, if your home is going to be shown to buyers, keep the lights on and leave the shades at least partially open so the home seems bright and sunny. Dark homes seem smaller and that is not the impression you want to give the next owners of your home. Also, when a home is dark, the buyers will not be able to see all of the positive features of your home and may, in fact, wonder if you are trying to hide something. The old adage of "not buying a pig in a poke" still applies today, and no one wants to buy something they have not been able to see.
3. Lastly, if you are selling a home where the developer is still very active, understand that your agent can only do so much under those circumstances. If you are selling your home for more than the brand new homes of the developer, your property will likely stagnate for many months while the new homes get snapped up for less money. Be as agressive as possible with your pricing and do everything you can to make your home look better than the models. That can be hard, I know. Builders can offer free upgrades, special financing, appliance packages, etc that you cannot provide. In some markets it may be impossible to get all of your money back if you have to sell not long after you bought the property. So be understanding and do not take it out on your agent.
However, even if you follow this last recommendation or are lucky enough not to have to compete with a developer's homes, you should not ignore #1 and #2. If you do, you will have reduced your chances of selling your home in our current market to a snowball's chance in, you-know-where.
If you have any questions concerning the Bulletin Board and its use, do not hesitate to contact me at John Elwell - REALTOR at CENTURY 21 Bill Nye Realty, Inc. 813-783-4444 or e-mail me at: jelwell1@tampabay.rr.com I will do my best to assist you.
I also invite you to stop by my webpage at: www.jelwell.century21bnr.com
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