No Use Crying Over Sold Signs

Well, it has certainly been an eventful week! There is no better feeling than looking back at the week behind you and being able to say "maybe I wasn't perfect, but I did good". It was definitely a roller coaster of emotions - some good, some bad and some, a little over the top.

I was able to sell a house for some very important clients this week - my parents. They have now entered the "retirement" phase of life (and I am more than just a little jealous), and the time has come for them to move from the home which I helped them buy almost 12 years ago. As we moved through the process, everything was exactly as it had been with other clients in the past. We focus on what needs doing, we do it, and we move forward. After so many years selling real estate, it can be almost a robotic process.

They worked very hard at getting the home ready for the market, and once all of the major work was done, I helped them "stage" the home for showings. By the time I was finished, the house looked so fantastic, they almost didn't want to move. Almost.

To make a long story short, within a couple of days of being on the market, I found a buyer for the home myself. From the moment I introduced this family to my parents home, I wanted it to be theirs. I just knew that they would love the home the way my parents did. When it came time to put everything together, all went smoothly and both my parents and the new buyers were so thrilled with the way everything worked out.

My great surprise came when I realized that I was far more emotionally involved in the process than I thought. It was now time for me to accept that my parents were moving on to the next phase of their lives, and that they were no longer going to be 5 minutes away when I needed them. I actually cried in front of clients for the first time ever. It was definitely a new experience for me. But I digress....

During the relatively smooth offer process on my parents home, I was also knee deep in negotiations for another client of mine. This sale would not come so easily and smoothly, however.

The home in question was purchased by my client as an investment. It needed a great deal of work when he purchased it 2 years ago, however he had rented out the home during the time he owned it, and, as a result, the home showed very poorly. We eventually scratched out a deal after a somewhat painful negotiation process.

Where am I going with all of this??? Ah, yes. The point...and I do have one....is this:

What really hit home for me this weekend is just how important it is to put the extra time and effort into "staging" your home properly before putting it on the market. This is something I have obviously always known, but the stark contrast between the ease of the 2 sales was glaring. In the first case, the buyer fell in love with the home from the moment they walked through the front door. There were, quite simply, no objections. "It is beautiful. We love it. Where do we sign?"

In the second case, the love was not there. It was my job to make the seller fall in love with the offer, which is a far more difficult process. Because of the condition of the home, the buyer had objections left, right and center, and my seller had to come to terms with that. It all worked out in the end, but a little more time and effort before the listing process, would have made for a much smoother sale, and more money in the seller's pocket. Without a doubt.

For some staging ideas and tips, check out this article that I have posted on my website!

Well, it is 2:42 am, and sleep still eludes me, so I will leave you with one last tip for the night. Just say NO to coffee after 8pm!!!!! Caffeine is not your friend!

Jenn :)