Posts in category 'For Sellers'

If you've ever watched The Price Is Right, you've seen it happen: Contestants guess the price of a blender, a vacation, or maybe even a new car. Everyone gives it their best shot to come as close as possible to the actual price…until one strategic player waits for their turn and says, "$1."

And sometimes, it wins—not because it's the right price, but because it's just lower than everyone else. There's nothing wrong with doing it. It's totally within the rules. But it's certainly aggravating for everyone that had to come up with a thoughtful number to be at the mercy of someone who has had the privilege of seeing what they bid.

Real estate has its own version of that moment.

Maybe you've done your homework. You've looked at the comps, talked through...

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When you sell your home, there's a good chance you'll hire a real estate agent because they have the experience, tools, and access to networks you don't. They understand the local market, know how to price a home strategically, and have the know-how to market it effectively to attract qualified buyers.

So when they offer advice—about pricing, staging, timing, or marketing—it's natural to trust that they know what they're doing.

However, it's still worth asking thoughtful questions to make sure their advice and strategy fits your specific goals and circumstances.

That's especially true when agents have extremely different views on how to market your home….

What Are Of...

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In recent years, it hasn't been unusual to list a home and have it go under contract in a matter of days—often with multiple offers, sometimes above asking price, and occasionally with eager backup buyers waiting in the wings. During that time, many sellers didn't even need to entertain a buyer's request for a concession. In fact, buyers were often the ones waiving contingencies just to compete.

So if you're planning to sell soon, it's only natural to expect a similar experience.

But the reality is, in many areas and price ranges, the market is adjusting—and it's important to understand what those changes mean, and what they don't.

What Is a Seller Concession?

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If you've been planning on selling your house, or are currently in the middle of doing so, you've probably heard that there will be some changes in how your home can be listed and marketed, with regard to a commission being offered (or not) to buyers' agents.

While some listing agents may already be implementing the changes ahead of time, as of August 17, 2024, your agent cannot include an offer to compensate buyers' agents on a Multiple Listing Service (MLS), which is a local marketplace used by both buyer brokers and listing brokers to share information about properties for sale.

Some sellers may misinterpret this as saying that they're no longer allowed to offer compensation to buyers' agents at all, but 

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You're supposed to leave your house in "broom clean" condition for the buyer when you sell your house, which leaves a lot of room for interpretation. It often boils down to sellers feeling like they left the place looking immaculate, and buyers wondering if the seller even owned a broom.

The point is, it's kind of subjective.

Which is probably why so many sellers think they're being super thoughtful when they leave certain things behind, but buyers end up feeling like you just left them something to figure out what to do with or get rid of.

So here's a list of 5 things you shouldn't leave behind when selling your house, even if you think you're doing the buyer a favor:

1) A Pile of Random Keys

Of course you need to make sure your buyer has the keys to all the doors in the house, but that stash of random keys you can't figure out what they're supposed to open isn't something your buyer wants or needs. If you don't know what a key is for, just chuck them in the trash. The odds of your buyer eventually coming across some random lock you never knew existed in the house that fits one of those keys are pretty low.

2) "Touch-Up" Paint

Is it even possible to buy just the right amount of paint? Judging by how many cans of leftover paint sellers leave behind in their garage or basement, it doesn't seem like it. The go-to rationale most sellers use is that the buyers may want it to do touch-ups, but let's be honest, paint is a pain in the neck to get rid of so it's just a handy excuse to avoid dealing with it yourself.

(This goes for extra tiles and any other remodeling remnants you may have lying around as well…)

3) Manuals for Appliances You Haven't Owned in 17 Years

It's nice to leave the manuals and any warranty information behind for any major appliances or components of your house that are still working and included with the sale. But do your buyers a favor and get rid of the ones that went with the olive green oven from 1977. Having every manual from every appliance that ever existed in the house just makes finding the right one you need in an emergency that much more difficult and aggravating.

4) That Ridiculously Large Sofa You Couldn't Get Out of the Room

It's easy to forget how difficult a piece of furniture was to get into a room, until you try and get it out of a room… on moving day. It's also easy to rationalize leaving it behind for the buyer to enjoy, free of charge!

But free or not, buyers don't always want your old furniture that you couldn't get out of the house in time. Feel free to offer any furniture you don't want (or just can't move easily), but plan on getting all of your furniture out of the house before closing day no matter how much pivoting it takes to get it out the door.

5) A Curb Full of Trash

The last resort for many sellers is to throw out everything they couldn't fit in the moving trucks, or just don't want anymore. The problem is, some sellers wait until closing day and put piles of garbage bags and furniture to the curb fully expecting the trash collectors will throw it into the back of the truck on garbage day. Maybe they will… But maybe they won't!

Unless you happened to sell your house to Oscar the Grouch, don't bet on your buyer being happy about pulling up to the house and seeing piles of trash at the curb. Either get rid of things bit by bit over a few weeks before closing, or plan on making a trip to the dump before closing day.