Are You a Motivated Seller Today?

If you are being transferred, enlarging your family, or preparing to make an offer on another home, you are a motivated seller - ready to make the best deal to sell your home quickly. You and your REALTOR® can take numerous and appropriate actions to help you meet your goals.

But many sellers aren't in a hurry to sell. They may want to test the market to see how high prices will go, or they might want to try a different lifestyle, but are undecided as to when and where they want to move. Realtors call these sellers unmotivated, because without firm plans, they can give the agent very little to do to move the transaction forward. The unmotivated seller can't sign a listing contract, and therefore the agent can't market the home, tell other agents about the home, or show the home to buyers.

Yet it is often at this stage of indecision that sellers will most often contact an agent for help. They let the agent know that they are "thinking of selling" and ask the agent to create a marketing plan for them, including the gathering of comparable data of homes in the neighborhood. They use this information to help them decide whether the timing is right to sell, how much they could possibly net from their home, and to help them decide what range home they would like to purchase when they are ready to move. Then the sellers tell the agent, who has put in hours of work to get this information, that they will let him or her know "when they are ready to make a decision."

Many sellers feel entirely comfortable taking real estate agents' time in this way. And most agents are glad to give it, but what these sellers don't realize is that without a target moving date, they have not only wasted the agent's time, they have wasted their own.

In most areas, markets are changing rapidly. Some parts of the country have reported as much as a 10% change in home prices within a quarter. That doesn't take into account the rapid appreciation that can take place with the entrance of a major employer to an area, or the devastation to real estate prices that can accompany a natural disaster.

When an agent gathers information for a seller, that data only applies to the current market. If the seller is three to six months away from being ready to sell, the homes that are featured in the comparables will already be sold, and a new group of competing homes will be on the market, and the comparables and marketing plan will have to be revised to benefit the seller in that market. In other words, every bit of information that the agent gave the seller is essentially worthless unless they plan to list their home for sale immediately. For that reason, many top agents refuse to work with sellers unless they are motivated - ready to move within 90 days or less.

If you aren't ready to move quickly, there is still reason to talk to an agent early in your plans. Your agent can provide resources and contacts that will help you arrive at a moving date with confidence. These can include resources such as agents in other areas who can help you relocate, financial planners to help you understand your tax consequences if you are a long-time homeowner, and special facilities if you are relocating with children or an aging parent.

Help your agent to help you by being forthright about your plans. Share why you aren't at a point of decision. Ask your agent what types of information may help you "get there."

In some instances, you may have to pay for information. Many top agents will give you the comparables you want at a reasonable fee. Others may be willing to consult with you on an hourly basis until you are ready to sell. You can request that the consultation fees be rebated when you list and close your home with the agent.