Qualifications...

I know which one I would pick!

I love looking through the paper to see the different ads and ideas people have when placing a classified ad for their house. I came across one this week that included the street name and the phone number but not the house number. As I drive to the area I find the deep caverns of water main repair. Dare I cross? I am glad to report I survived the treacherous trip across the chasm.

When I talked to the gentleman at the property I suggested he may want to ad the house number to his ad. His response surprised me a bit. "That was done with purpose. If people are interested they are forced to either call us or drive by if they so choose."

In today's world of information overload people not only want, but expect information at their fingertips on their schedule, not yours. As a buyer I would not want to jump through hoops when I have plenty of options available to me. I can search through hundreds of homes on the internet, including photos and virtual tours. Why am I going to play your game to call you to get your address? NEXT!

In this instance it seems very much a control issue. The home seller wants to control each and every buyer and when and what information they get. A strategy that could work but is very labour intensive. This takes away a key benefit of selling privately. The ability to talk to qualified buyers and work within your schedule. You actually spend your time qualifying them instead of letting them qualify themselves!

Qualified buyers are something real estate agents claim as their own. They proclaim to spend hours with all the perspective buyers getting to know their wants, likes, desires. Maybe so, but it is on your time schedule. In speaking to many people frustrated with the traditional system one complaint often heard is that agents will bring just about anybody through a home. They use the homes as part of the process of narrowing down what a client might like, meanwhile forcing you to leave while they show an uninterested, unqualified, tire kicker through your home.

Having the control of the sale by selling privately allows this to stop. You show the home when it is convenient for you. When they have made the decision to pick up the phone and book an appointment, they have already looked online and ogled your photos. They know that your basement is not finished. They know that you have a large backyard and a new deck. It's what they are looking for, they have self qualified.

Your duty as the home seller is to verify two things on initial phone calls. Have they viewed your property on PropertyGuys.com and are they pre-qualified for a mortgage in the amount of your home. When they pass this test they are invited across the bridge.


M