Selling your property: What reason will you give a buyer or agent?

The reasons and motivations for selling your home can be many and varied.

Most potential house buyers know this and will be quick to ask, "Why are you selling?" How would you reply to that question?

Sometimes the potential homebuyer is just being curious. However, in most cases, your potential buyer has good basis for wanting to know the motivating reasons for the sale. The homebuyer will want to know what's wrong with the home - if your property is so good why are you selling?

In order to sell your house, you have to prepare your answers to these questions.

Home for sale: Be clear on why you are selling

If you've decided to sell your house or your property, chances are you're caught up in a horde of emotions.

You may be looking forward to trading up to your new dream home or facing the uncertainty of a major relocation to another town.

You may hesitate to leave a big part of your memories behind or keen to start a new adventure.

Whatever tumultuous emotions you're experiencing right now, you need to be clear on exactly what's motivating you to sell your home.

Selling your home? Are you prepared to sell?

If deep down you don't expect your property to sell, then it might be a indication that you are just not prepared enough (or motivated enough) to make the sale happen.

If you don't feel positive enough to sell your house yourself, then you may be better off facing reality and listing your property with an agent... if you can find a good one.

This blog is designed to help you sell your house by yourself or with the help of a real estate agent, and if you do decide to list with an agent, by reading this blog you will be better informed and in a stronger position to make those all-important decisions.

If you're not fully prepared to sell your property yourself... don't even bother trying. Start interviewing agents.

You are Selling Your Home. So what are Your Expectations?

All parties involved in the sale must have the same expectation... that the property WILL SELL.

Sometimes sellers get all excited thinking their house will finally be taken off their hands by a keen buyer in a matter of hours or days. Unfortunately, this is usually wishful thinking, when in truth the agent might not be expecting that house to sell at all!

Now, I know what you are thinking - "without doubt both the seller and the agent expect the property to sell... don't they?" Well, they most likely both HOPE it will sell, but do they both EXPECT it to sell... and at what price?

If either the home seller or the real estate agent has reservations about whether or not the house will sell, then those issues should be discussed openly.

Think about it; either side could have reservations relating to price, condition, location, terms, market, timing or some other factor that could possibly prevent a sale at this time.

Be upfront and identify any reservations or apprehensions before going to the market.

Home selling - Is the motivation there to make it happen?

There's that very wise saying, "it takes two to tango!" Well, if you are selling through and agent it might take three! This is not necessarily bad!

You see; to bring any deal together it takes a very motivated buyer, a motivated seller and a motivated agent (if you're using an agent).

I will repeat what's already been said - Before putting your home on the market -- or any property for that matter -- think carefully about how motivated you really are to sell.

The truth is; you are either going to be realistic in setting your selling price expectation or you're not. That could make a big difference to what happens (or doesn't happen) when your house goes on the market.

Is your home "seriously" for sale?

Do you really want to sell and shift house? It sounds like a simple enough question, but many homeowners would fight with an answer. Here's what often happens.

Some people will put their house on the market at a absurdly high price. Not because they expect to sell it for that amount, but because they can't decide if they really want to sell. If a buyer is willing to pay their overblown price, it makes their decision a whole lot easier.

But, isn't that the incorrect way to go about selling a home? If money were the only motivating factor, wouldn't the seller be better off considering other types of moneymaking schemes?

If a home is not "seriously" for sale it can be a waste of time for all concerned.

Less than 10% of For-Sale-By-Owners will sell their homes without outside help

The vast majority (90%) of For-Sale-By-Owners that will sell their houses WITH outside help will do it with a real estate agent!!!

Of the 10% that do sell WITHOUT outside help, 60% will sell to someone they know, or to a relative.

If you are a For-Sale-By-Owner, don't get too depressed. Most of the ex-For-Sale-By-Owners are probably not well organized and have the wrong mindset. As a matter of fact, most fail to have a clearly defined plan of action (well... not all, some).

They don't attract enough potential buyers and by not having any serious buyers, they fail to get offers on their home. Many give it a less than really motivated go and then they give up after a couple of weeks. This can cause considerable stress within families and can damages relationships.

If you really want to do it by yourself, you must act differently than those who just put a small effort into it. So the first thing you should do is to Decide In Your Own Mind That You Can and Will Sell Your Home Yourself.

The key is to have the right mindset when you start. Understand exactly what you are doing, talk through the issues with your spouse and make the commitment. It's not that easy to sell your home. (Thats why real estate agents exists!)