In No Particular Order:
1. Sellers are at home during Inspection, Showing & Appraisal. This is probably the largest error any homeowner can make. When buyers are looking at your home they want you GONE. They need to talk about your house, talk to the inspector and be able to think out loud. You being there prevents this and ultimately costs YOU MONEY.
2. A seller gets an offer within 2 weeks of being listed & gets too cocky. Too often when an offer comes quickly a seller becomes Contract Proud. They feel "many more will come" and they do not want to consider negotiations as well as they should.
3. Television, friends in Alaska and the news reporter in Syracuse know nothing about Houston Real Estate. - ZERO. They can give you advice, but that's all it should be. When you attempt to use outside influence as an ingredient in your decision making then you run the risk of costing yourself money. Laws vary from state to state. So do market conditions, advertising methods and the expectations of what is considered usual & customary. What works in Utah, may not work in Cypress Texas.
4. A seller hires a friend or relative to list their home. Personally I don't care and am sometimes/often relieved when a friend or relative does not use me to list their house. You need to be able to FIRE, YELL AT or REPRIMAND you Realtor when you are unhappy about something. BUSINESS IS BUSINESS. Feelings won't get hurt with me if I don't know or love you!
5. A seller who stands outside during a showing, but attempts to chit chat with exiting buyers is a HUGE MISTAKE. Don't be coy and try to talk about closing costs, the new exterior paint job or how wonderful the neighbors are. You look desperate, needy and sometimes to controlling. Remember YOU ARE PAYING FOR REPRESENTATION.
6. A seller receives a repair requests, then fixes them without telling the listing agent! Don't try to be slick and perform a lot of repairs yourself in an attempt to save money!!!! The CONTRACT clearly states that a LICENSED PROFESSIONAL must perform the work that requires a license to do so. Not only that, but you need to remember that when YOU fix something, YOU are standing behind the work that was done. Buyers usually if not always want MONEY in lieu of or they want somebody they know & trust to do the work.
7. A seller sees multiple real estate signs in their neighborhood and assumes that agent is selling everything in the area. NOPE. You need to look at the SELLING AGENT & not the LISTING AGENT. Over 80% of all listings that sell come from a buyers agent and not the Listing Agent.
8. Sellers Not READING THE LISTING AGREEMENT. I love a client who trusts me, but you not reading the paperwork means you may miss something or assume something down the road that might frustrate you.
9. Sellers leaving the a/c off, leaving the dogs in the house, not cleaning their home, stinky cats, dirty dishes in sink, weapons or prescription drugs left out during showings, turning down showings, yelling at buyers agents for being late, smoking in the house, & sooo much more.
10. The BIGGEST mistake a seller can make is not calling a LICENSED REALTOR to list their home! You get what you pay for. That's if it's a part time agent, discount firm or FSBO. Do it right the first time folks!
