Harleysville-Lansdale Real Estate and More

We all know it is a buyer's market. The news, the number of homes on the market, the number of foreclosures, they all speak to what a tough real estate market we are currently in. We get it; sellers get it. However, we are the experts and it is our job to sell homes in any market.

Regardless of the market, all sellers want:

To get their home SOLD.

To sell for the MOST $.

To sell QUICKLY.

To sell with the LEAST HEADACHES.

What sellers don't want:

To hear us COMPLAIN about the market.

To hear about the OTHER HOMES we have sold.

To hear about the AWARDS we have received.

At the end of the day, if we haven't sold their home, then we haven't done our job. None of these things matter. To sell in any market (but especially in a buyer's market), we need:

EXPERIENCE and KNOWLEDGE of our local market to make the right recommendations for preparing the home for sale and more importantly pricing the home.

CONTROL OF EXPECTATIONS to keep our sellers from getting frustrated.

SKILLFUL MARKETING METHODS to generate activity on our listings.

The ability to find QUALIFIED BUYERS.

NEGOTIATION SKILLS to get our sellers what they want.

PROBLEM SOLVING ABILITIES to get past the hurdles to settlement.

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County of Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.

What Sellers Want - Copyright © 2011, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved.

I was contemplating how difficult some buyers are in the market right now - so demanding and so in search of the "great deal" that they miss terrific opportunities on homes for sale because they have these preconceived notions that they want a certain percentage off the price and all repairs taken care of from the home inspection.  Then I read J. Philip Faranda's post, Why Tons of Buyers Are Screwing Up.  It is very indicative of today's market and right along the lines of what we see going on with buyers today.

Now anyone can argue that sellers are no better.  We have seen the days when houses were flying off the market with each sale in a neighborhood out doing the previous one in terms of price and what types of conditions buyers were willing to accept.  Sellers had the position of power and typically had several offers to consider.  Some sellers were downright cocky and arrogant.

In recent years, some sellers have been very foolish and cannot let go of the "appraised" value when they refinanced in 2005 or how their neighbor sold in 2006 for thousands more than what is currently being recommended to them as a list price. 

But now the turnaround.  For the most part, sellers have accepted that they are not going to sell for what they could have sold for a few years ago (even a few months ago).  Some buyers today have turned cocky and arrogant.  They are so busy listening to the news, their friends and families and hearing about the "steals" out there with short sales and foreclosures, they are missing out on great homes at great prices with unbelievably low interest rates.

We have found a tactic very useful recently.  If we have a listing and we know it is priced well and the seller has made the appropriate concessions regarding condition but we cannot come to terms on price with a buyer, we very politely tell the buyer's agent, "Go ahead and look at more homes, let us know when your buyers want to be reasonable with their offer."  Our last three listings sold to the very buyers who put in their unreasonable offers, it just took two to three weeks each to get through the negotiations on price and terms.  Sometimes it gets down to arguing over a refrigerator.  Can anyone spell exhausting?

Every aspect of a real estate transaction these days is harder than ever.  Roadblocks are continuously being thrown up by not only sellers and buyers, but mortgage companies, appraisers, inspectors, and homeowner associations.  And from what we see, negotiations on price and terms that used to take a day or two to get through are now taking a week or two, sometimes three.  But if you have the sellers these days and want to get them the best price and terms, be prepared for some long rounds at the negotiation table. 

Keeping sellers calm and everyone engaged is the hardest part.  But when you know you have a good hand (a.k.a. a reasonable seller and a good house), you have to play hard for your seller's sake.

~Lisa

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery and Bucks Counties of Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.

Know When to Hold Em; Know When to Fold Em Copyright © 2010, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved.

According to Wikipedia:

"A mission statement is a formal, short, written statement of the purpose of a company or organization. The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a sense of direction, and guide decision-making. It provides 'the framework or context within which the company's strategies are formulated.'"

Ours is:

"To become an indispensable asset to our clients before, during and after the real estate transaction."

Scott and I build our business by referral.  It is never about the sale at hand.  If it is not the right house, it is not the right house.  Period.  We are there to protect our clients, achieve superior results, and whenever possible, strive for a win-win in all negotiations.  It is about the long-term relationship with our clients and their well-being.  We want every client to trust us and to be so happy with us that they tell all their friends and neighbors about us. 

What is your mission statement?

~Lisa

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.

Does Your Real Estate Business Have a Mission Statement? Copyright © 2010, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved.