SELLER ADVOCACY – SELLING YOUR HOME
The owners have been met, their identity confirmed, what happens next?
Step 3, agents have been selected, the home is ready, let the marketing commence.
SELLING YOUR HOME BEING READY AND AGENT SELECTION
Viewing a vacant home has a very different feel to viewing a home with the seller in residence.
The tenants have vacated, the house is supposedly clean, and should be ready to go.
If the home isn’t clean then decisions need to be made. Book more cleaners, dispose of forgotten tenants belongings, and argue with the property manager about the costs coming out of the bond.
Nobody wants to do it, and many property managers just want to forget about the outgoing tenants and move on. There is no more money in it for the agency, and therefore none for the property manager. Going to VCAT and arguing with a tenant over $500 is not worth it to the PM (Property Manager). $500 is worth it to the seller, the landlord.
Viewing the home with the sellers, their beloved home that they trusted an agency with, is disillusioning. It will never be as they remembered. It’s cold, uninviting, and involves more time and expense. They just want to sell it and get on with their lives.
The disconnect between PM and agency, is never more apparent. The agency would be annoyed to have a potential listing slip through their fingers, yet, they most likely will never know.
SELLING YOUR HOME – AGENTS VIEWING
The home is viewed, a strategy developed for clean up, agents have been chosen to walk through the home and then present their proposals. It can be another waiting game. Some agents forward their proposals quickly, and others drag their feet. It can be a sign of which agent can handle another listing and which agent already has too much on their plate.
Agents rarely say they are at capacity, they want more and more listings, even if they are not coping with what they have. It’s a greedy, competitive industry. It’s not about the Seller, it’s all about the agent.
One of our chosen agents returned with their proposal later that afternoon, we are still waiting on the 2nd agent, and the third (from the same agency as the PM) hasn’t yet even seen the home. It looks like the first agents will get the gig – they have had time to present their strategy, the owners have considered it, and mentally we have all moved on to the next step.
The Sellers want the home on the market quickly, with a sale before Christmas if possible. Agents were told this, yet, here we are waiting!
SELLING YOUR HOME – THE PLAN IN ACTION
New cleaners have been booked, the home stager has been booked, the property has been tidied up and will be ready for cleaners. How long do we wait before we give an agent the go ahead? They have until tomorrow (and yes, they know that). Communication is key.
If an agent is too busy to forward a proposal then they will be too busy to book photographers etc. Getting a home sold by Christmas becomes highly strategic. Languishing on the market over Christmas when conveyancers and banks are on break, means that very little can happen with the sale. The last weeks before Christmas are important.
For houses already on the market, it’s not so bad. We know everything is ready, we are waiting on the right person, at the right time to make an offer. We have the Section 32s, we can book building and pest inspectors, get finance ducks in a row, it’s all very doable.
Delays are frustrating for sellers. They are ready, their home is ready, they don’t want to wait until January to see their home online. If they have staged the home then the clock is ticking. Staging costs, delays cost. Timing is part of the strategy at Christmas, and agents busyness is immaterial to the sellers. Don’t accept the appointment to view the home if you already have too much on. We can live without you, you are really not that important. Really, it’s true.
Selling your home, having a plan, a clear path, and removing or smoothing any obstacles is only a part of how I can help you with selling a home. Beyond the knowledge, the understanding of the process, it’s the years in real estate that make me the real estate guide that I am. My story and why I want to be your guide and not just a real estate agent.
If you want some help then please reach out.
https://carolrobertson.com.au/working-together
