When the inspection report on a townhouse they listed for sale came in, real estate agents Marilyn Lissner and Diane Lewis were dumbfounded. The architect hired to check out the place by the prospective buyers claimed the unit had structural defects and water damage to the tune of $50,000. Bye, bye contract.
The sellers recovered first. They mentally prepared themselves to have the work done, even though the cost was about one-fifth of their asking price. Lissner and Lewis, of Beliard, Gordon & Partners in Chicago, thought there had to be another way. They researched home inspectors and construction experts, found one with superior credentials and had the home reinspected. The result? The inspector found nothing seriously wrong with the home.
Not long after that, Lissner and Lewis were in a bind. Another agent made a last-minute request to see the home and neither one was available to show it. They called the sellers and asked if they would mind doing it this one time. The sellers gladly complied.
“We’ve built up this relationship to show them we’re doing everything we can to sell their home,” says Lissner. “We helped them and are sure they appreciate it. They were willing to help us.”
In the best of cases, sellers and their real estate agents become allies in the quest for a smooth and expedient closing. Although each has specific responsibilities as spelled out in the listing agreement, such as the seller agreeing to pay a commission and the agent agreeing to market the property, there are lots of other small details to cover. The division of labor becomes murkier. The key is mutual cooperation, say area brokers.
“We are partners,” says Sharon Downey, co-owner of Keller Williams Realty in Naperville, Wheaton, Hinsdale and Bloomingdale. “Everyone wants the same end result. There are certain things the seller needs to do and things the broker needs to do but it’s not going to work if they don’t work in tandem.”
Recently, Downey took a distress call from a seller listed with one of the agents in the Naperville office. While another agent was showing the home, the seller took her children outside to play. The agent took the potential buyers through, carefully locked all the doors–including the one between the garage and the mud room, which the sellers leave open–and left. The seller didn’t have keys. She did have a cellular telephone, which is how she reached Downey. Would someone come over and let her in the house? Downey did.
What can you do to forge an easy alliance with your broker? Consider the following advice. Following it won’t guarantee a sale but sure will make your agent more amenable to occasionally making your beds or walking your dog when you can’t get home on time:
– Commit to selling.
You remember when the maple trees were saplings and the many family celebrations, but think about the new memories you’ll create, not the old ones. When more than one seller is involved, make sure you agree to make the move. If you change your mind about selling every other month, don’t expect your agent to invest much money and energy in the deal.
“Sometimes the seller may not want to sell but recognizes the need to sell,” says Marge Steineke, a regional manager with Baird & Warner Real Estate in Chicago. “Then we can still have access to the home and they’ll be cooperative on showings.”
Tough to deal with is the seller who gets a full-price offer and decides he wants more money or suddenly decides he doesn’t want to move out for nine months.
“These people haven’t truly thought through the transaction,” says Steineke.
The greatest length Steineke has gone to accommodate her sellers was to store their furniture in her basement for 30 days when they had to make an interim move before their new house was ready.
“In a good relationship, you do form a special bond,” she says.
– Share with your agent as much information about your home as you can. Mention its special features and upgrades, especially those that aren’t obvious. Dig out past utility bills and warranty papers. If you’re selling a condo, have the declaration and rules handy.
Some sellers have gone so far as to write or assist with advertising or brochure copy.
The more she knows about a home, the better she can promote it, says Sandra Kite of Sudler and Company in Chicago. “Many times when I’m showing, I can say, `The people who work here are wonderful. If you need anything, talk to the doorman or the maintenance man.’ I get that from the sellers.”
Kite, too, has gone above and beyond the call of duty. Once she tracked down the breeder of a dog a client admired and once she changed the light bulbs in an absentee seller’s dining room because the room was too dark.
– Keep the communication lines open. Your agent should alert you as to marketing plans and buyer interest but you need to share what’s happening on your end.
Steineke says she appreciates knowing how sellers prefer to be contacted.
“Some sellers want you to e-mail them,” she says. “They don’t necessarily want you to call and take up their time. Some want you to fax. Some want you to visit.”
In some markets, the listing agent doesn’t attend every showing. Sellers know before their agents that a showing took place by the business card left on a table or counter. They should inform their agent as soon as possible so the agent can find out how it went.
Let your agent know of your whereabouts and any changes in your life, advises Steineke.
– Prepare your home for market and keep it that way. The most important steps you can take are to fix anything that is broken and do a thorough cleaning.
“I can think of (a listing) right now where the agent has done a lot as far as marketing the home and the feedback is always, `The house is a pit,’ ” says Downey. “The beds aren’t made, and there’s cat hair and animal stuff all over. It’s like the seller doesn’t care. It’s very difficult to sell this home.”
“Not every home can be a decorator’s delight but every home can have the cereal boxes put away and the papers picked up and the dishes put in the dishwasher,” says Steineke.
– Keep an open mind to redecorating ideas. When you put your home on the market, you want it to appeal to as many people as possible. A weary or highly stylized decor won’t. If your agent recommends changes, treat them as strategy.
“Some people take our suggestions as personal criticisms of their home,” says Lissner. “But it’s sort of like trying to sell air conditioners in January. Sometimes there is no market for some things. No one wants brown appliances anymore. They like paint instead of paper. It’s not our prejudice. We’re just relating what the market is.”
On the other hand, mention any updates you plan to make. Your agent may be able to come up with a lower-cost solution or decide you needn’t make the investment.
– Be flexible about showing times. If the baby takes an afternoon nap every day and you don’t want disruptions, that’s understandable. But don’t specify daytime appointments only or no showings after 7 p.m. And do forgive buyers and their agents who don’t appear on your doorstep at the precise time they say they will.
“We may have a buyer who takes longer to look at (an earlier) house,” says Downey. “They may get off schedule a little bit.”
If at all possible, leave the house during showings, she adds. “Some people don’t like to be inconvenienced when buyers come through, especially if it’s a mom with a couple kids, but the buyer feels more relaxed.”
