"NOT IN A HURRY TO SELL"? YOU SHOULD BE!

I sometimes hear these statements from sellers when I speak to them about listing their home: "You know, we don't HAVE to move" or "We're not really in a hurry, so we can take our time." or "I'm willing to test the market and see what happens".

Realtor.com, my own website's tracking, and many other sources' statistics prove that sellers actually have a very short "window of opportunity" during which their home will receive 90% of its interest from prospective buyers (and their realtors).

After that time (usually the first 4-8 weeks), viewings and interest drop off significantly, which is the reason another favorite tactic of some sellers--"let's list it at a price too high for the market and then lower it later"--is a fatal mistake as well. By the time they lower the price, most prospective buyers have already moved on and are no longer viewing/considering the property.

Most importantly, once a home has been on the market more than a few months, even if the owners are "not in a hurry" to sell, it starts to be perceived as "shopworn". Realtors will avoid showing it, assuming that there is somethng "wrong" with the home that prevented it from selling; buyers will start to make "low-ball" offers, assuming the sellers are getting desperate.

Not a good place to be....

So sellers should do some soul-searching before they list--if they're not truly motivated and willing to have their home look amazing, be priced right and marketed aggressively--then maybe it's just not the right time to sell.