Dear Kathe –
We are relocating this spring. As soon as I told my friends we were moving, a few had friends who want to see my home. What’s the best way to handle this?
Sewickley is a small town and most folks are well intentioned. When word gets out that you are selling your home, you will undoubtedly receive calls that neighbors or friends have your “perfect buyer” – could they just get in and take a peek before you list your home?
This may sound very tempting to you. The thought of not having to stage your home, never mind the savings you are already be adding up in your head from not paying a real estate commission, may seem too good to resist.
Don’t do it! There is no surer way to ruin what may possibly be the best buyer prospect for your home than to let them in early. Think about it as if you were the buyer for a moment. Are you more likely to buy and buy high if you have all the time in the world to mull over the purchase? Probably not. You are far more likely to talk yourself out of buying, or at a minimum, buying at a high price. How about if there are several other buyers all looking at the home on the same day? The pressure is on – if you like the home, you know you have to buy. This scenario is far more likely to yield a seller a higher price in a shorter time.
In my 16 years in real estate I have seen this scenario play out hundreds of times. While true across all market segments, it is particularly true for Sewickley’s homes, where the buying pool may be incredibly deep. In markets like we are in now, if there is one anxious buyer for your home, there are probably several. Our inventory is uncharacteristically low. Don’t sell yourself short. If you are really concerned about your bottom line, then don’t limit yourself to just a buyer or two. Hire an agent such as myself who specializes in strategic selling, bar the door, turn away the “sneak peekers” and when we open the floodgates, we will drive in more money for you!