Tampa Real Estate

Why do some Tampa homes sell and others don't?

It boils down to three things:

Price, condition of the home, & availability for showings.

PRICE:

Of course all sellers want the highest price possible on the sale of their homes. So do real estate agents listing the home, but they know it won't sell if it is overpriced. If it is overpriced, as so many of the homes are in today’s challenging market, buyers move on, usually without even seeing the home.

Eventually the list price is reduced. All too often the sellers agree to reduce the price to what the market was two months ago, which means that it is still overpriced in today’s market. They continue to “chase” the market as home values decline, and aren’t competitive. They blame the listing agent, and list with another agent/agency. Recently, a realtor/friend of mine kept telling the sellers of her listing, that the home was overpriced. They wouldn’t reduce. The listing expired, and the seller listed with another agent/agency for $20,000. less. Five weeks later, reducing the price by another $10,000!  (It still hasn't sold!)

CONDITION:

I have walked into homes with buyers and found cat poop all over the carpet, the kitchen sink full of dirty dishes, (perhaps days or weeks old), and in one case a few years ago, an active beehive inside the home. In the case of the beehive, I immediately called the listing agent to inform him that the home wasn’t safe to show. This is why I now always walk first into homes that I have not shown before and in some cases (dogs, etc.) ask the prospective buyer to wait outside until I check for safety issues.

AVAILABILITY FOR SHOWINGS:

Recently, I had two experiences with two different buyers regarding the “availability for showings”. In the first case, I realized we were running a little late for our showing appointment “window” and tried to call the listing agent to inform her. I received no answer and we proceeded to the house. We arrived five minutes late and the owner greeted us and refused to allow me to show the home, informing me to reschedule.

My “buyers” immediate reaction was that the seller wasn’t very motivated and was unreasonable. We didn’t reschedule and moved on. In another case in the past two weeks, the seller required the listing agent to be present for all showings. Fortunately, I was able to schedule the showing far enough in advance to coordinate my schedule, my buyer’s schedule and the listing agent’s schedule. This kind of requirement can severely limit the showings of your home.

I remember one time on caravan with about 30 agents when we walked into a home (scheduled and on time) and a man was showering in the master bathroom.  Needless to say, we didn't tour the master suite!

So, sellers should remember: PRICE, CONDITION OF HOME, & AVAILABILITY FOR SHOWINGS if they really want to sell their homes in today’s market! (And remember to be out of the shower when appointments are scheduled!)