Pinetop White Mountain Blog

HAPPY LABOR DAY EVERYONE!

I thought I just had to address something this afternoon that all of us in the Real Estate Industry are dealing with right now.  That is a slow market and frustrated sellers.  Believe me when I tell you that finding a buyer for your home is our only goal right now.  We really do want your home to sell and we are doing our very best to make that happen.  We do care! 

We also know it is very frustrating to every single one of you who are out there hoping to sell your home.  We are frustrated too.  There are so many homes on the market that it is more the luck of the draw than anything else if your home is the one chosen to show to that one buyer who is serious about buying a home.  A basic home search right now for any given buyer will produce hundreds and in some markets, probably thousands of homes that match the criteria for that buyer. The agent working with that one buyer is going to have to choose maybe 10 to 15 out of that number to show.  If your home is the one chosen to show, it's a good day to buy a lottery ticket because it really is your lucky day! That fact may not make you feel any better, but perhaps it will help explain what is happening in the marketplace right now.   

Your agents really are doing all they can to promote your home.  They will push it to every buyer or agent that calls the office, they are advertising diligently, they are promoting it on any and all websites they can find, they are posting it regularly to any media options they have to get your home the exposure it deserves.  They just can't go out in the street and drag someone into the office kicking and screaming and insist that they buy your home! They want your home to sell just as much as you do.  Your home sale is their way to make a living, and they really are doing their utmost to make that happen.  So vent to your agent if you must, your agent is used to it because these days they are dealing with frustrated sellers almost daily.  Just understand that venting to your agent may make you feel better but it still isn't going to sell your home any faster. 

Are you considering changing agents or brokerage houses? That probably isn't going to help either. Every single agent in the market right now is going through the same thing with every one of their sellers.  Whether we like it or not, the boom days are gone and we all just have to accept and adjust to that fact! We may not like it, but we must face the fact that markets change, and right now the market is so far removed from two or three years ago, that no amount is wishing it were different is going to change that fact!

Another fact that you as a seller must keep in mind is that every buyer in today's market is looking for a bargain.  They are looking for that one seller who is so desperate to sell that they will take just about any price to get out of the home.  They are sitting back watching prices and when that one bargain home surfaces they will jump on it.  Pricing is king right now and the few buyers out there know it.  They are spending their time online looking at properties in your area and looking for the one that will suit their needs at the best possible price.  They are watching and waiting and biding their time, because sooner or later, the home they really want is going to be out there at the price they want to pay. 

So what can you as a seller do?  You really need to sit down and figure out what you NEED to make on your home, not want you WANT to make from that sale.  Can you afford to be a few thousand dollars below the one down the street that is similar to yours?  Will a few thousand dollars on the price of that home make the difference between a sale or just getting more and more frustrated? How much difference will it make to your actual net when it is all said and done?  Keep in mind that the lower the price, the lower the costs associated with that sale. Your commission to your agent will be a little less, your Title Fees will be a little lower, and will that few thousand really matter if you get the home sold?

The whole point here is to help you realize that your agent really does want to help you sell your property.  They really are doing everything they can to make that happen.  But the bottom line is that it is up to you to see it done.  If you want to sell, work with your agent to make it happen. Your agent is there to help but they can only do so much. If there are issues that need to be addressed either through pricing or just some deferred maintenance issues, then it is up to you the seller to help them help you by addressing those issues. They really do care and they want to see your home sold. 

Have a great weekend and if we can help you with the sale or purchase of a home in the White Mountains, remember our motto---

"WE WORK FOR YOU!"

SANDRA PAULOW or BRUCE PAULOW, GRI - REALTORS®

RE/MAX Pine Country Realty in Show Low, Arizona