The paperwork is done. The photos are perfect. Your home is officially listed and you’re ready to start welcoming prospective buyers and their agents so you can sell your home quickly. After all, time is money! But, believe it or not, your home is not the only thing under scrutiny as a seller. Your etiquette as a home seller is a reflection of your home and can increase or decrease the appeal of your property to prospective buyers. There are many things that you can do as a seller that can set you up for success from day one of listing your home. We’ve taken the time to compile the best Home Seller Etiquette Tips from the Pros to give you all of the secret, unwritten rules you need to know to sell your home fast!
Declutter & Clean
Let’s face it- we’ve all got a lot of stuff– stuff that’s been collected over the many years of making amazing memories in your current home. Prospective buyers want to be able to envision themselves in your space. They want to see how they can fit into your home and make it their home. If your rooms are overcrowded and filled to the brim with all of your stuff, it becomes very difficult for buyers to picture themselves in your space.
How your home is presented when it’s shown to prospective buyers can mean the difference between getting an offer or having your home sit on the market. Clutter and cleanliness are so important that they can sometimes increase (or decrease) the apparent value of your home to buyers. If a home is presented well it can spark more interest among buyers and encourage them to put in higher offers. It can be as impactful as a buyer saying “I love this home” or turning around once they enter the front door saying “this isn’t for me”. (Yes! I’ve seen this happen!)
Take the time before you invite buyers to declutter. Clear off surfaces, go through closets, throw things out, and make the space feel inviting and welcoming. Wipe down countertops, vacuum, and present your home in a way that says to buyers “This is the one. Picture yourself living here and making your own memories in this home.”
Want more info on why it’s important to declutter before you put your home on the market check out our posts: “Why It’s Important to Declutter Before you List Your Home” and “How to Declutter Your Home to Sell”!
Be Flexible
The next of our Home Seller Etiquette Tips is about flexibility. Homes that aren’t shown don’t sell. It’s that simple. If you want to sell your home fast, you need to be flexible. Let your home be shown. Let agents schedule showings. Do the best you can to accommodate showing requests. Inflexibility is like the kiss of death of a listing.
You might be saying to yourself, “Well, Rick, if a buyer wants my home bad enough, they’ll make my schedule work for them”. Wrong. The truth is, buyers are busy too (especially if they’re coming from out of state!). If a buyer or agent can’t get into your property to show your home, the buyer will most likely move on. They’ll end up seeing other homes with sellers who can accommodate their schedules and ultimately end up purchasing another home without skipping a beat. While it might be tough to hear, it’s a fact!
So, if you want to sell your home fast, be flexible. Keep that end goal of selling your home in mind and remember the temporary discomfort will have a great reward. Want more seller tips? We’ve got you covered! “Everything You Need to Know to Sell Your Home Fast”.
Leave During Showings
Maybe you’re excited for buyers to see your home or you want to show the buyers all of the great things your home has to offer. Whatever the reason you’re thinking of staying while your home is being shown, don’t. The next of our Home Seller Etiquette Tips is a must! Almost all agents would agree that being there while your home is shown is not the best way to get your home sold fast.
It’s nothing personal! Buyers just don’t feel as comfortable seeing a home when they feel the sellers are watching them under a microscope. If you want buyers to be able to picture themselves living in your home, make sure you leave during showings. Get out of their way and let the professional agent do their job by showcasing all of the great things about your home.
In my professional experience, homes, where owners have stayed during showings, were not as well received by clients and generally spent more time on the market than homes where the owner left while buyers are viewing the property.
So, when your agent calls you to schedule a showing, make a plan to be away during that time. Go grab a coffee, get some errands done, go for a walk with your dog Fido, or simply drive down the street and wait for 20-30 minutes. Wherever you go, don’t be home! You’ll thank me when your home sells fast.
Bring Your Pets With You
I love dogs. All pets, really. But, not everyone shares that opinion. When trying to sell, it’s good etiquette to bring your pet with you when your home is being shown. Not only does it free up the worry that someone might let Fido out by accident, but it also makes buyers who may not like pets, or are allergic, more comfortable when viewing your house.
When you’re trying to sell, you don’t want to give buyers any reason not to come and see your home. Take Fido for a walk or a car ride when you know your home is going to be shown! This will help get as many buyers in the door as possible which will ultimately result in getting an offer.
Make Parking Easy
The buyer’s viewing experience starts when they first pull up to your home. That means that before they even enter your house, they’re starting to visualize this home as their own. By making parking easy, you make that initial experience that much smoother and comfortable for prospective buyers.
Imagine pulling up to a home and not being able to pull into the driveway or park on the street and having to circle around the block just to find a parking spot down the road. This kind of experience can discourage buyers. The first thing they’re thinking is “Wow, this was a challenge. What would it be like if I lived here?” That’s what we want to avoid. Make the buyer’s experience a great one from the very instant they see your home.
Lay Out an FAQ Sheet
The next of our Home Seller Etiquette Tips is something your agent can help you with. Buyers ask questions, lots of questions when viewing a home. (and they should! We’ve got a whole post about it: “Top Questions to Ask When Buying a Home”.)
The best buyer’s agents will ask the listing agent the most asked questions prior to showing your home or provide the buyers with an MLS Hotsheet full of all the specs of the home. For example: What kind of heat does the home have? When was the kitchen updated? Is there central AC? What year was the home built? And the list goes on.
It’s great selling etiquette to have an FAQ sheet available in a central location featuring all of the buyer’s questions answered in one place. Not only does this save the buyer’s time but it also means they can put their offer in that much quicker. It’s definitely a nice touch and can set the offer process off on a good note. You can choose to include any information you’d like! Here is some information you could include in your FAQ Sheet:
- Monthly Bill Information (Gas, Electric, Heat)
- Update/ Repair Information (Ex: The roof was replaced in 2019)
- Home Warranty Information
- Oil Tank Removal Date
This is an optional Home Seller Etiquette Tip but I’ve seen that it really helps buyers make up their minds if they’re deciding to put an offer in on a home.
Be Patient When Waiting for Feedback
Once prospective buyers see your home, it’s customary for your real estate agent to request feedback! This could be asking the buyers what they thought of the property, maybe what they liked or didn’t like, or if they are thinking of putting an offer in on your home. Most sellers are very eager to find out what buyers thought of their home (and rightfully so)!
However, it is important to note that buyers will usually see many properties in one day with their agent. They’ll need time to discuss and weigh their options before they give you their genuine opinion on your property and make a decision. As anxious as you’ll be to get their feedback, be patient! If you have a good agent, they’ll relay the buyer’s feedback to you as soon as they have it! Sometimes it can take a day or two for buyers to fully process the homes they’ve seen. So, don’t worry!
Don’t Take Offense If You’re Told Your House ‘Needs Work’
The next of our Home Seller Etiquette tips can be a little bit of a touchy subject. As a listing agent, it’s part of my job to give you some pointers and suggestions of minor fixes that you can do to improve the value and presentation of your home. These suggestions are not meant to be an insult! They come from many years of experience in the industry and knowing what buyers are looking for. While I don’t expect my clients to make all of the adjustments I recommend, making a few can get us both closer to your ultimate goal- selling your home fast for top dollar.
With that being said, when buyers say your home “needs work” please know that this also is not meant as an insult! Everyone has different tastes and preferences. What works for you and your family might not work for the prospective buyers and their families. Everyone is different and that’s okay. It doesn’t mean they didn’t like your home or that your home won’t sell. It simply means that in their opinion, there are some improvements that can be made.
Storytime? Storytime.
A few years ago I was working with a client who bought a property that was just renovated with a brand new custom kitchen within less than a year of their purchase. The kitchen was great, nothing wrong with it. My clients ended up doing a $65,000 renovation, completely gutting and refinishing the kitchen to make it fit with their own personal style and preference even though there was nothing wrong with the brand new kitchen they purchased the house with!
Pro Tip:
A client’s personal preference on cosmetic finishes does not affect the value of your home! Just because my clients wanted to spend $65,000 to reno the kitchen didn’t mean they could shave that amount off the price of the home. However, if you are thinking about renovating your home to increase the value to sell soon, check out our post on “Renovate to Sell: Kitchens”. Believe it or not, there are certain home renovation tips and tricks that can help you appeal to more buyers and get top dollar for your property.
An Important Note:
Sometimes homes actually do need work. That’s okay, too! Just because your home might need some TLC or a few updates here and there or maybe there are some renovations that need to be done, doesn’t mean it isn’t going to appeal to buyers! A lot more goes into a client wanting to purchase a home than there being no work to be done. Homeownership is a big responsibility. Maintenance and updates are part of the gig and buyers should know that. So, don’t take it personally you hear your home needs work.
Don’t View Lowball Offers As Insults
The next two Home Seller Etiquette Tips go hand in hand! When a buyer puts an offer on your home that you feel is too low, it might make you feel insulted. You might get upset and be tempted to disregard the offer altogether. However, this would definitely be a mistake.
There are a lot of reasons that a buyer would lowball an offer. They could be testing the waters or trying to see how negotiable you are on your list price. They could be following bad advice or even be home-buying newbies that simply don’t realize their offer might be insulting. No matter the reason, always remember that an offer is an offer. The first offer a buyer puts in is normally a starting point to encourage future negotiations and that’s better than no offer at all.
I always tell my clients to think of their home sale as a business transaction. As hard as it might be, try to remove the emotion from the equation. With the help of your agent, look at the numbers and see if there’s a way to work with what the buyers have offered. A good agent will be able to help you determine if the buyer is serious and willing to engage in a negotiation or if they’re not.
Weigh your options and think twice before closing the door on any offer.
Don’t Be Greedy
“He who is in greed is always in want.” –Horace
Ah, greed. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a seller’s greed come between them and their home sale. It’s obvious that every seller wants top dollar for their home! After all, who wouldn’t? But the seller who always expects more and more, always waiting for higher, better offers, will always be disappointed.
By always holding out for a higher price, you’ll end up killing any possible deals and keeping your home on the market longer which doesn’t look good to prospective buyers. The longer a home sits on the market, the chances of lower offers skyrockets.
Focus on your bottom line- yes. But, don’t get caught up waiting for something better!
Respond Quickly to Offers
This next Home Seller Etiquette Tip is a courtesy to buyers. Always respond to offers quickly. Whether you’re accepting, declining, or countering, try to give buyers an answer as quickly as you can. Most buyers are pretty anxious to hear a reply from the sellers and it can be very frustrating to wait for a response or feel as though the seller has no regard for their offer. Out of respect for their time, even if it’s just to decline, give them an answer. Good buyer’s agents will normally give a deadline with their offer but it’s a good rule of thumb to reply before that deadline.
Listen to the Professionals
When in doubt, listen to your agent! You hired your agent for a reason and it’s their job to sell your home. They’re in this business 7 days a week (yep, #RealEstateLife), 365 days a year and they know what they’re doing. If your agent has suggestions, don’t take them personally. Hear what they have to say and do what you can. If you’re working with a good agent, they will always look out for what’s best for you.
The Takeaway
Setting yourself up for success as a seller is imperative when selling your home, especially if you want top dollar fast! If this is your first time selling your home, some of these might come as a surprise. Following these Home Seller Etiquette Tips from the Pros will definitely pay off when selling your home.
Thinking about selling? Contact Me or fill out our Home Valuation Form to find out how much your home is worth!
Got any etiquette tips you’d like to share? Leave them in the comments below!
