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PART 2: Dear Realtors – 10 ways home owners mess with the sale (and your mojo)

By August 28, 2019No Comments

PART 2:  Realtors understand 10 ways your sellers unconsciously sabotage the speedy SALE of their home

(plus mess with your income & reputation)

 

If you haven’t yet read PART 1, read that first here as there is LOADS of valuable information!

 

 

PART 2 – HELP YOUR HOMEOWNERS CHANGE PERSPECTIVE

 

  1. PLAYING THE BLAME GAME
    Most sellers sabotage the process and fall headlong into typical victim mentality by thinking that everything and everyone else is at fault in this process. It makes great conversation to play the blame game! Blaming the housing market/location/high mortgage rates/recent increase in crime/country’s current junk status/awful neighbors/commuter traffic into the local work hub/local elections etc. They will find ways to blame every aspect of the market for the lack of a sale and extended “days on market” or non-interest of your property, especially blaming YOU, their realtor. If you can let me help you, to help them understand that they are way more in control than they think, well you will come off as their hero/heroine.
  1. INFORMATION UPLOAD
    Try and make sure your seller is never left with a mouthful of teeth when potential buyers ask about the neighborhood, the shopping outlets, local school, who runs the local council, etc. Do your homework to also fully understand what properties are listing and selling for in your immediate neighborhood and educate your client.You want them to be seen to know their home and their ‘hood. Be open and willing to share that information. Any upcoming changes to the neighborhood should be top of mind – such as building mall outlets, new schools planned, current crime in the area, better access roads being built, shifts in zoning homes as businesses, etc.
  1. SALES SAVVY
    Your client might be undermining or sabotaging the process by getting too involved. Are they honestly any good at sales – especially selling something they love? Even when they are 100% at peace with, and excited by this sale and move, they may not be the savvy salesperson they think they are. So yes, while it is absolutely possible in some countries for your clients to bypass you and sell their own home nowadays, especially with online property sites (unless your specific county prevents this by law), it still does not mean that they should be the one doing it.Help them understand that a neutral, professional, home selling expert like yourself will assist them in getting the sale price as high as possible, assess the right buyers, market the house appropriately, and handle all the dreaded paperwork on their behalf. Help them understand why you are the right realtor for the job.I always suggest sellers get a trusted recommendation or find someone who excels at closing deals in their neighborhood. If you are confident in your work ethic and track record, you too can suggest they shop around, feeling quietly confident you have something different to offer them and they will see your value.Educate them so they understand why they need you. Help them understand the difference between the selling price VS actual money they get out that ultimately put more money in their pocket at the end of the day.

    Know your real strengths, play to those – draw on your designations, qualifications, passion and experience to help them navigate this complicated territory and tap into the right buyers. Speed and ease are what we are after, remember?

  1. BUYER CENTRIC
    Even though your client is obviously the owner and seller and you feel it’s all about them, when it comes to selling, this concept alone will totally sabotage and derail the process. From now on, you need to teach them to become “buyer-centric” and put themselves in THEIR shoes.The moment potential buyer’s pull up at the front curb, they need to be instantly impressed with the look and feel and be able to see themselves living in this space the moment they walk through the door. You want their positive feelings and initial experience of the space; from the moment they set eyes on it, to positively influence the economics and dynamics of this purchase. You want your potential buyer to be “blown away” and put in that OTP (Offer To Purchase). Remind your client they only need ONE buyer, and you don’t want them to mess up that opportunity when it arises. Remember that when your clients have done all the work Kate suggests, it WILL happen fast!

PART 3 – SHOWTIME – READY, STEADY, GO!

8. CUTTING CORNERS?
Cutting corners will sabotage the sale.

You need Kate’s kickass energy to teach your clients not to be lazy and ‘half-a$$ed’ when it comes to show days or viewing appointments. Let Kate have the tough conversations with your clients – she can play ‘bad cop’ on your behalf! She has a knack of saying it like it is, getting sellers excited to do the process. She will get them super vigilant to get SHOW DAY ready.

After thoroughly assessing the property and its current condition, it’s crucial to complete property maintenance, sprucing, fixing, cleaning, clearing, and de-cluttering. The seller needs to KEEP the house in tip-top shape – should you need to bring the ideal prospective buyer round with very little notice, there is no stress involved or days to wait. You want everyone to be poised and ready.

Are you also following the international property trends by home-staging to showcase and highlight all the positive attributes? Think bigger and bolder!  A little time and money spent in the right way will have exponential results!

 

9. STUCK IN THEIR WAYS?
The current buyer’s market could mean cash buyers are a very attractive prospect – your sellers have to be ready and agile in their response and be willing move as soon as possible as there will be no delay in waiting for banks/loans/bonds/mortgages to be approved. Your sellers need to be prepared to move out of the house sooner than expected to help facilitate this sale (and enjoy some occupational rent if your country allows).

It is common for sellers who have honestly and truly done the closure work, to get buyers bidding against each other for a property – all wanting to move in ‘yesterday”. When you read more about what Kate’s clients experience when working through her process, “SHIFT YOUR HOME,” speed is a typical result.

If your seller is too stuck in their own timelines, you might all lose out! Teach them to be flexible and prepared to move swiftly along.

 

10. MAKE IT A ‘NO-BRAINER’

Are you showcasing their house appropriately?

Highlight the best features with high-definition professional photographs and professionally edited videos to walk buyers through this space in virtual reality. One of the current trends is also to use drone footage to show off the neighborhood from above to enjoy that all-important bird’s eye view, as that dramatically influences buyer’s decisions.

Buyers can see the property in relation to everything else around it, proximity to or distance from schools, retail, health facilities, motorways, etc.

I hope this has given you a different perspective as you embark on trying different approaches with your client. IF you can be the realtor that stands out, understand how saying goodbye is so difficult, then you will have a more powerful impact on your business, neighborhood, and clients.

My role is to help you help your clients take responsibility to shift the sale from the inside out, while you sell it from the outside in. Your seller’s heart, mind, and soul all need to align to the look and feel of the property to get the outcome you all want. To sell this house with grace, speed, and ease at the highest price possible. Kerching! To move on, feeling proud and with closure.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this article. Comment below or drop me a line directly on kate@kate-emmerson.com!

Kate is known as the Quick Shift Deva – South Africa’s foremost clutter expert, life coach, best selling author, and international speaker. She bounces into homes, offices, and hearts to help clients to sort out their clutter and their lives, freeing them to move on to LIVE LIGHT, LIVE LARGE. Much like a combination of Clean House and House Doctor, she will both physically and emotionally help YOU and YOUR HOME get show day ready.