HOME GETS SOLD WITHOUT ANY OFFERS FROM BUYERS

NO OFFERS FROM BUYERS BUT HOME GETS SOLD

Your home has been on the market for almost three months now. During that time, you have have had twenty-three showings. You price has been reduced three times and your agent keeps telling you that she is doing everything that she can do to get your home sold. As a matter of fact, she reminded you that two couples came back for a second look, and that she called the agent to see what they thought and to give you feedback.

So what was the feedback? What were the people going to do after seeing your home for a second time? Your agent told you that one couple loved your home but that they also had a home to sell. She also mentioned that the other couple thought your home would be perfect for them but that they were still looking. She then said, "We are getting good feedback. We will just have to wait and see what they decide to do."

Unfortunately, in this day and real estate market, "waiting to see what they decide to do" is not a good enough marketing strategy. You and your agent can be much more proactive. Here is something you can and probably should do. Have your agent write up a purchase agreement/offer for the sale of your home. "Hold on here. My agent is the listing agent. I thought the buyer's agent is the one who writes up the offer". Yes, traditionally that is what happens. But as bad as the economy and real estate market are today, tradition just doesn't cut it. You have to use agressive marketing techniques and think way outside the box.

So have your agent write up the purchase agreement/offer. Better yet, write up two offers, one for each of the couples who saw your home twice. Collaborate closeley with your agent. For a moment, make believe you are the buyer. Make the offer as "sweet" and realistic from the buyer's perspective, at the same time, making sure that you are satisfied with the price and terms as well. Write in their names as the buyers and your names as the sellers, and then sign the agreement as the sellers. Make it subject to a financing approval letter from a qualified bank or mortgage lender. You don't want to sell your house to someone who can't get a mortgage loan. In these difficult times, qualifying for a mortgage is not as easy as it used to be.

Lastly, getting back to the offer, how should you write it up? You shouldn't. Let the agent who listed your home write it up. Tell your agent to write up the offer as though he or she was the selling agent instead of the listing agent. You might get beat up a bit and not like the price and terms. Well, welcome to the world of real estate today, and one way to get your home sold, even when you have "no offers from buyers".

Marilyn Bush, real estate broker-owner of Applause Realty in Bluffton.