Have you ever heard that selling your house is like dating? In my opinion after 15+ years in the real estate business, I can 100% attest to the fact that selling your house is indeed like dating – in more ways than one…. As a professional in the world of real estate and a sometimes practitioner and full-time observer in the world of dating, here are my thoughts on how selling your house is like dating*:
#1. If buyers like your house, you’ll know. This is actually the statement that got me started on the parallelisms between real estate and dating. When buyers are interested in your house, they will come to see it right away and then come back for a second time as soon as they can after the first showing. They will ask how you are handling offers. They will ask for utility costs and other specific information. And then they will put in an offer. Not only will they show their interest by behaving in certain ways, but they will also exude a sense of attraction for your house, and you will feel it. Sounds like dating to me….
#2. Pursuing buyers too aggressively can have the reverse effect. This is Rule #1 in the dating world, and it’s the same when it comes to selling your house. The biggest turnoff to a buyer (and a date) is coming on too strong as it ultimately makes you look desperate. And we all know that looking and acting desperate can be the kiss of death, especially in the world of dating. As mentioned above, when a buyer likes your house, you’ll know. If you don’t hear back from the buyer’s agent after a showing, especially if your agent has already reached out to the buyer’s agent for feedback, the writing is very likely on the wall. Don’t then instruct your agent to keep pursuing the buyer’s agent. S/he will be in touch if there’s interest. I promise! Give the buyers space to formulate their thoughts and interest in your house. Don’t smother them or their potential interest with call after call or email after email just to “check in.” Less is more as they say.
#3. You only have one chance to make a first impression on buyers, and it’s an important one. This is a fact of life in almost any situation, and it couldn’t be more true in the worlds of real estate and dating. First impressions matter! The front yard and entryway are what the buyers initially see when visiting your home, and so you want to make these areas as visually appealing as possible. Make them shine, sparkle and impress because if you don’t, you might not get another chance to do so….
#4. The better the appearance of your home, the more buyers you’ll attract. This is a cold, hard reality in real estate – especially nowadays. Most buyers want to just move right in, set up their furniture and be done with their “newly bought” home. Given our busy and complicated lives these days, buyers don’t want to be saddled with endless, time-consuming and expensive house projects. In other words, condition is king in the current home buying process. Buyers are flocking to – and paying up – for homes with A+ appearances. And although it doesn’t all come down to looks in the world of dating, it is true that an attractive person and one that cares about his/her appearance often ends up enticing many suitors.
#5. Expect buyers to have interest in multiple properties. As you know with dating, especially at the beginning, people often date several people at the same time. Then once they get more serious with one person, they stop dating others and just focus on that one special somebody. It’s the same with home buying and real estate. Buyers often cast a wide net, looking at multiple properties in several towns, and it can take some time before they boil it down to just one house.
#6. If it’s meant to be, it will be. How many times have we heard this saying when it comes to relationships? Well it’s the same thing in real estate. When you’re selling your home, you can’t control the thoughts and decisions of the buyers, you can only control yourself and your actions. Your home has to be the right fit for the buyer, and when it is, “it will be.”
Hmmmm…. What are your thoughts about the parallels between real estate and dating? When selling your home, have you run into similar concepts and behaviors in the worlds of real estate and dating? And did you follow some of the above tips? If so, did they help you during your home selling process, and/or did you experience other dating-type similarities with the sale of your home? I can’t wait to hear….
For more information on this or about the real estate market in Weston, Wellesley, Wayland and the surrounding towns or if you are considering selling your home, please contact me, Lisa Curlett (www.lisacurlett.com, 781-267-2844 or lisa.curlett@compass.com), to answer any questions or for a complimentary home appraisal.
