1. Refusing to Make Obvious Repairs Prior to Sale.
Showing a house when there are leaking faucets, cracks in the walls, water stains on the ceiling, and a busted hot water heater are all ways to turn off potential buyers.
2. Ignoring the Backyard
Everybody knows that fantastic front curb appeal sells homes, but many sellers forget what’s out back. In the summer and fall months, everyone’s attention turns to the outside spaces, where they dream of warm summer nights and outdoor entertaining.
3. Hiding Problem Issues From the Buyers.
Far too many agents have watched too many home sellers pay out big bucks because they didn’t “reveal it all.”
4. Getting Egotistical When Negotiating
Every agent has had that seller who just simply cannot fathom that a buyer would even think to make such a low offer, but the truth is that most of the time, the buyer doesn’t mean to offend the seller.
5. Using Lousy Photos
Ninety percent of all home shoppers start their home search online, and nothing can tank a home sale like terrible listing photos. The only thing worst than terrible listing photos are listings with no photos at all.
6. Holding On to Clutter and Junk
For as long as buying and selling a home has been a “thing” there have been sellers that say, “Oh the house looks fine. Buyer’s will see right past all my boxes and shelves overflowing with nick-knacks.” Big mistake. Huge.
7. Selling A House Via “For Sale by Owner” (FSBO).
When the market is hot, many people think that selling their home on their own is easily doable. “Who wouldn’t want to save on commission?” think many sellers. Despite the lure of not having to pay an agent a commission, sellers need the expertise and know-how of a professional, who can help navigate the stacks of paperwork, provide priceless neighborhood knowledge—and negotiate on the seller’s behalf.
8. Overpricing the Home
For agents, this is the one major seller mistake that we see the most frequently. It is a misstep that seems to rear its head whenever the market seems like it’s heating up.
There they are—the biggest selling mistakes of the season.
WRITTEN BY: Michael Corbett