Home Sellers Take Note!

The home you own and are trying to sell is never worth quite as much as you believe it is worth. That is a hard reality but it needs to be said in order to experience a positive home selling process. The difference with most agents is that the great listing agents are the ones who can tell the truth and get their point across effectively and gently. The real skill of an agent is being able to pinpoint a property value and price it and market it effectively. As a listing agent, you are really a marketing agency. You have to be master marketing and pricing property. This means educating sellers as to market conditions, geographical location, and pricing property. This is easier said than done as it is often tough when a seller will naturally start defending their position and telling you "how much they owe on the home" and they "have to have a certain amount" and it's "really worth more than you're telling them" etc.. A great real estate agent can deliver the message needed in order to the get the home sold all while maximizing the dollar for their client. Often what a seller wants to hear is not always what they will hear. When the market is down a sellers home is never worth what they want it to be worth. When the market is up it's still worth less than they think it's worth because they're riding that high. It is a constant battle of fighting fantasy and reality. It is our job as agents to show them the way and what makes sense.

Again, I harp on this over and over again but the long-term approach always wins. It may not be the awesome idea you have in your head at the moment to tell the sellers they may need to wait to sell if they want more money but sometimes that is what needs to be done. Now, if somebody absolutely has to get out of their house then the motivation level is a little bit different. But, if someone just wants to sell there home and get a certain price it's the right thing - but also a tough thing - to tell them that they most likely are going to have a tough time selling at that high price. That means you don't get paid on Friday, but ultimately it's the right decision for your client and will serve you better in the long run as well. They will ultimately end up getting more for the home when you wait for the right time and you will ultimately get paid and most likely found to be more honest and credible. Take this into consideration when talking with sellers. Over the years this is something that has taken me a while to truly comprehend but once learned it pays big dividends. Long term over short terms wins. Doing the right thing is always the right thing!