5 Things Sellers Should Never Say To Buyers

5 things sellers should never say to buyers

CHICAGO – Jan. 14, 2016 – A seller's goal is to sell, but sometimes they say things that short circuit the process. According to a recent survey conducted by realtor.com, the following are among the top comments sellers should keep to themselves, according to Realtors^®:

1. "Our house is in perfect condition."
"The home inspection may reveal otherwise, and, as a seller, you don't want to wind up putting your foot in your mouth," says Cara Ameer, a real estate professional with Coldwell Banker. "There simply is no such thing as 'perfect condition.' Every house, whether it's brand new or a resale, has something that needs to be fixed, adjusted, replaced or improved upon."

2. "We've never had a problem with …"
Sellers need to be careful to not utter any fibs, even seemingly small ones, when selling their home. "You're setting yourself up for potential liability," Ameer says. "You may not even be aware of the problem at first, but it could translate into an embarrassing moment upon inspection."

3. "It's been on the market for …"
Sellers should never mention how long the home has been on the market with potential buyers, says Pam Santoro, a real estate professional with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. The information is available on the home's information sheet for buyers to see for themselves. Sellers who wish to highlight this may find buyers believing they can get cheaper since it's been on the market longer – or buyers may wonder what's wrong with the home if it's lingering on the market.

4. "We spent a ton of money on X, Y, and Z."
Some sellers think the ton of money they spent on a home upgrade will be equally desirable to homebuyers – or that they'll get that money back at resale. "The buyer doesn't care whether you spent $10,000 or $100,000 on your kitchen," says Ameer. "They are only going to offer what they feel the home is worth in relation to area comparable sales."

5. "I'm not taking less than X amount for my home."
"If you send a message that you're inflexible or not open to negotiating, it may not invite buyers to even try to work out acceptable price and terms, as they will feel defeated from the start," says Ameer. "Word may spread that you have this sentiment as a seller and people may start to avoid the house."

Source: "6 Things You Should Never Say When You're Selling Your Home," realtor.com® (Jan. 12, 2016)

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Author: Kathy Toonder
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Dated: January 15th 2016
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