Why are you selling your home? This may seem like an innocent question coming from potential home buyers, but your answers may betray you. In reality, any explanation you share may contain information that home buyers could use against you. This will nullify your negotiating power.
According to Greg Beckman, a realtor in Maryland, home buyers are looking for any sign that indicated you would be willing to accept a lower amount for your home. For instance, if you say the wrong thing to a potential buyer, the potential buyer could be tempted to make a low ball offer on your home.
You should let your real estate agent deal with potential buyers. Your realtor is trained to provide exceptional results. In this article, we are going to cover nine answers you should never give to potential buyers when you are ready to sell your home.
My Job Transferred Me
This is probably the most common reason why people sell their home. Telling home buyers this can put you in a bad position. They will more than likely get the impression that you are desperate to sell your home and accept their low ball offer.
Our Family Needs a Larger Home
Are you interested in getting a larger home? Don’t share this information with home buyers. You don’t want to give buyers the impression that your home may not be big enough for them. If they get this impression, they will more than likely walk away. This will leave you back at square one.
We are Ready to Downsize Now That Our Children Have Moved Out
It’s logical for empty nesters and retirees to downsize, but you don’t want to give home buyers the impression that your home is too big for them. They will feel that your home will be too hard for them to maintain. Again, you will be left at square one. You need a buyer for the deal to take place!
We Need Something with a Smaller Mortgage Payment
There are several reasons why it’s a bad idea to share this information with home buyers. You don’t want them to think that your home is too expensive or overpriced. Secondly, you don’t want the home buyers to feel like they can give you a lowball offer. In layman’s terms, don’t discuss your financial situation with home buyers. In many cases, it will backfire on you!
We’ve Bought Our Next House
Do you want to get top dollar for your home? You should never tell home buyers that you have bought a new home. If you do, you will give them the impression that you are desperate and need to sell quickly. Any seasoned real estate agent will tell you to keep this information to yourself.
Our Utility Bills are Too High
Energy-efficient home features are gaining more popularity as time progresses. It’s imperative to point out that some home buyers are not concerned with utility costs while house hunting. You should never bring this subject up. You don’t want to draw attention to the fact that your electric or gas bills are high. This will be a turn-off to home buyers.
It’s Too Hard for Us to Maintain This House
No one is interested in acquiring a money pit. This is why you never mention maintenance costs to a home buyer. You should also avoid talking about repairs that you have put off for a long time. This could be bathtub caulking or replacing the hot water heater. Bringing up this subject will make buyers think twice about making an offer on your home.
We Need to Move Closer to Our Ailing Parents
It’s nothing wrong with moving closer to home so that you can take care of sick or aging parents. However, you should not share this information with home buyers. They will view this as a golden opportunity to take advantage of you. They will make you a low ball offer because they fell like you need to sell your home fast. This type of answer is music to the ears of those that want to buy a house at a deeply discounted price.
We Want to Live in a Quieter Neighborhood
Who wants to move to a noisy neighborhood? Don’t tell home buyers that you want to move to a quieter neighborhood. They will think that your home is in a noisy neighborhood. This is one easy way to blow your chances of getting an offer.
Working with a realtor is the best way to sell your home. A good real estate agent can find a buyer within several weeks or months. Working with a realtor can also help you avoid providing the answers listed above to home buyers.
