Everyone thinks the first conversation is about the house. That is what Sellers focus on, but it rarely is about just the house. We have a conversation about your life: What has shifted, what are you walking towards or away from and how can we help with your goals. If we don’t understand why you are moving, it becomes really tough to help you make the right decisions along the way when the emotions are high.
The first question: Why now?
We want to understand what changed and what is your timeline. What factors are playing into your timeline are important to know because that can change the strategy of the marketing, pricing and disclosures. Often the answers that come up sound like big changes, like: they layout doesn’t work anymore for our growing family, we are too far away from the schools, my parents or activities, or the commute is taking too much away from my quality of life.
The second question: Is moving the best option?
Although we love helping, sometimes you think the timing is right when it is very wrong and we will help you understand if it is in fact the best solution. Other options could be: a renovation, a pause to let emotions settle, or a reasonable look at what the next step looks like and if it makes sense financially.
The third question: What are you worried about?
As much as we want to create the ideal outcome for our clients, it is imperative to talk about what their fears and concerns are around buying or selling. We have heard things like: “We are worried that we will not agree on the next house”; “That our house won’t sell for the price we need it to”; or “We don’t know if we will find the one.” These are important conversations that we do not avoid. When there is a plan in place to deal with what you may think is the worst-case, it will help you think more clearly and know that you have options and more control than you may know. This involves problem solving and a clear strategy, but this is what we do.
After we figure out the answers to these questions, we will talk to you about the common mistakes we see, and how we have systems in place and lots of success and experience to help you avoid them. This helps you to move forward with clarity and confidence, which we know is often exactly what our clients need.
People often think our job starts when they decide to move, but we think it starts much earlier. Having a conversation about what is important, what you want to accomplish and what challenges may arise sets you up for success before the actual process even starts. The house is important, but the decisions behind it are what matter the most.
Note from author: this blog was written by a human, not AI, and reflects human opinion and experience.
