Copyright © [2017] [Daniel Bortz] realtor.com
Selling a home is just one of those
experiences you've got to go through to truly understand—it's a lot more
involved, emotional, and exasperating
than you might think.
As a real estate agent in Maryland, Virginia,
and Washington, DC, for the past four years, I’ve worked with lots of home
sellers. And I’ve seen my clients go through these emotional roller
coasters time and again. In an effort to prepare folks for this process—or at
least help you laugh and nod if you're already in the thick of
things—check out these moments that will strike a chord with any
seller who's been there, done that, and lived to tell the tale.
1.
'Wow, there are a ton of real estate agents to choose from'
Finding
a listing agent you can trust can be tricky, just based on the sheer
number of real estate agents that are out there vying for your business.
To
find agents in your area, use online tools such as realtor.com®'s Find a
Realtor search, which will give you useful info such as number of years of
job experience, number of homes sold, and the price of homes typically dealt
with.
2.
'Excuse me, you want me to clean/paint/remove what?'
It
can be hard to swallow negative criticism of your house from your agent, but
this is an inherent part of selling a home. Indeed, you might think that
each complaint—no matter how small—is a blow to your design aesthetic, or a
knock on how well you’ve maintained the property. But the reality is this
info can help you sell your home.
For
example, if your agent says that your house is too cluttered or
that the carpet needs to be cleaned, those are things that you can
address. You wanted to sell this place, right?
3.
'Do I really have to leave when the buyer gets here?'
Last-minute
showing requests are a natural part of the home-selling experience. You could
get a phone call from your agent saying that you have just five minutes before
a potential buyer arrives. Regrettably, some sellers make the mistake of
sticking around the house for showings, but that’s a huge mistake.
“Buyers
already have apprehension about touring a stranger’s property,” says Peter
Boscas, owner of Red Cedar Real Estate in Washington, DC. “That anxiety is
ratcheted up when the sellers are home during the tour.”
If
you want to give your home maximum exposure, you have to be prepared to step
out at a moment’s notice. This also entails keeping your home relatively clean,
since you may not have time to tidy up before a buyer shows up.
4.
'Why didn't that buyer show up?'
Sadly, no-shows are
yet another common experience people have when selling their home. From my
experience with home buyers, I can say that no-shows (or last-minute
cancellations) aren’t personal. When I work with home buyers, I usually show
them multiple properties in a day; hence, there’s a good chance we just fall
behind and don’t make it to our last one or two showings—or we see a property
that the buyer loves, so we cancel the remainder of that day’s showings.
The
important thing to remember as a home seller: Don’t take no-shows personally.
5.
'My home doesn't feel like home anymore'
One
thing I often advise home sellers to do is put some of their personal items in
storage. This might include removing furniture so that we can professionally
stage the home. Once you’ve taken these things out of your house, you might
feel a bit strange living in your home while it’s for sale. (The living room
just doesn’t look the same without your La-Z-Boy.)
The
important thing to remember is this only temporary, and it can make your home
sell faster.
6.
'Is that a true offer, or an insult?'
With
all the emotions that accompany selling a house, many sellers feel insulted if
they receive a low offer. One case sticks out in my memory: After presenting
the seller with an offer that was $20,000 below list price, my client said to
me, “Is this buyer on drugs?!”
Unfortunately,
my client refused to even make a counteroffer. I understood his
frustration, but the seller soon realized he made a mistake. The next two
offers we received were also below list price. The home wasn’t overpriced, but
home buyers are always looking to get the best deal that’s possible—which means
many people make lowball offers to get the ball rolling on
negotiations.
The
take-home lesson: As a seller, you should consider every offer that you receive
and, in most cases, at least make a counteroffer. Even if you make only a
$5,000 price reduction, you never know how the buyer will respond.
7.
'Why is this taking so long?'
Unless
you’re in a white-hot seller’s market, it might take a substantial
period of time to sell your home—even if it’s priced aggressively. As long as
your real estate agent is doing everything he or she can to market your
property, do your best to be patient. The right buyer will come along. That
being said, if your home sits on the market for more than a month, ask your
agent whether you should make a price reduction.
8.
'Why am I having such a hard time saying goodbye?'
Even
once you've sold your home, detaching emotionally from it can be tough,
especially if you’ve lived in your house for a long time. Odds are every room
triggers a memory—Thanksgiving dinners in the dining room, game nights in the
family room, birthday parties in the playroom. Still, selling your house
means it’s time to let go. If you want a greater sense of closure, here are
some sweet ways to say goodbye to your home.
