The First Critical Step
To Selling Your Home.
What Will You Tell The Homebuyer?

Sometimes the potential homebuyer is just being inquisitive. However, in most cases, the homebuyer has good basis for wanting to know the motivating reasons for why you are selling your home. The homebuyer will want to know what's wrong with the house - if it is so good why are you selling your home?

Both the real estate agent and the homebuyer know that your level of motivation will be the driving force in the home sale. They will want you to reveal how urgent the deal is and how negotiable and flexible you are with selling your home.

Are you desperate and willing to sell your home at any price? Have you already made a conditional offer on another home? Are you relocating to start a new job in a new town? Have your family circumstances changed? Those are the types of questions that can reveal how motivated (or desperate) you are for selling your home. The answers you provide can have a big influence on the final outcome in terms of the conditions of sale and the negotiated price when selling your home.

That's why it is really important to decide exactly what you are going to tell a real estate agent or a potential homebuyer. Decide exactly how motivated you are when selling your home, before you put your home on the market. Think of how you are going to answer each question before it gets asked.

Although you should always be honest... by saying the wrong thing, or a simple "slip of the tongue", could cost you dearly. You will need to choose your words carefully. Decide how much information you are willing to give without revealing too much, or misleading, or deceiving the real estate agent or the homebuyer.

So the critical first step is to decide how motivated you are for selling your home. Which of these 3 groups do you fall into?

1. VERY MOTIVATED
You have no choice in selling your home and you will experience a great deal of pain if you don't. Your negotiating position is weak and there is normally a deadline. Your reasons for selling your home are likely to be:

The Bank: you cannot afford to keep your home
Divorce: your income's now split, you or your spouse want out
Job Transfer: you are moving to another town or city
Death/Illness: emotional reasons

2. MODERATELY MOTIVATED
You are reasonably keen on selling your home. You are in a better negotiating position and your reasons are likely to be:

Upgrade: you want a better or bigger home
Downgrade: you want a smaller or cheaper home
Change: you want a new challenge

3. NOT MOTIVATED... BUT COULD BE!
You will sell your home if your circumstances are exactly right. For example, someone offering you an over inflated price for your home. You are in the position of either taking it or leaving it. (You are a real estate agent's nightmare!)

As the old saying goes, "It takes two to Tango!" The best deal in real estate is usually a WIN-WIN arrangement, with benefits for both the homebuyer and the home seller. This type of deal usually involves a "willing buyer" and a "willing seller." Both homebuyer and home seller need to have the motivation to complete a successful sale.

For more information on how to sell your own home for sale by owner fsbo.