Home-selling tips: With real estate, it’s all about perspective

Buyers and Sellers in residential real estate usually have strong emotions about their transactional endeavors when buying or selling.

Whether those emotions are about price, their history in the home, or specific amenities of the property, it is difficult to set aside emotions. Difficult as it may be, it is very important that it be done during the transacting of the business of the offer.

Emotions cause things to appear as a bigger factor than they actually are. The perspective of the person controlled by emotion creates a situation void of reality.

If it is about price, whether you want to sell high or buy low, the market won’t bear an emotionally controlled offer or listing price.

Sellers aren’t going to give it away and Buyers aren’t going to pay too much these days. Agents are there to help you understand objective market pricing. It is up to you to determine how much your emotion is controlling your action.

As you proceed down the path of buying or selling a house, be sure to be aware of where you are getting your information.

The Internet is full of information on buying and selling homes, but often the sites you visit are trying to sell you a service.

You can get good information from the right sites and with a little effort. You can check that information with your Agent, both for its accuracy and applicability for your wants and needs.

There are many other areas that you will get information from, not all of it wanted. Everybody that has bought or sold recently has a story and their Agent or Lender is either the best or the worst in the world.

Sound like there was any emotion in their transaction? Proceed with caution as their circumstances were likely not the same as yours so what worked for them might not work for you.

Check it out, talk to those folks without committing to working with them — you are interviewing them. Relatives are always eager to help you with their opinions.

They’ve all read an article, watched a news report, or somehow seen something that they feel you should be aware of.

Watching the media reports don’t always apply to local regions. A big labor layoff in Indiana doesn’t necessarily impact business in Northern Nevada.

Housing trends up or down on a National basis may not reflect our local trendlines. Be sure to get current, local information. How is the market in the area and price point you are working in?

Are there any local activities that will cause your selected market to change in the near future, information that would cause you to act sooner, or later?

Is there something in your life that will change your perspective in the near future, i.e.- grandchild being born in another town, mother in law coming to live with you, job transfer, etc.?

Our Advice: Understand your emotional view of a transaction component from the perspective of an objective position. How will the unaffected Buyer or Seller view what you are looking at?

Your Agent should be able to illustrate how your emotional positions are impacting your ability to move forward with your real estate objectives. Remember your overall goals and don’t let your emotion get in the way. Interview Agents or Lenders until you get the one that “speaks your language.”

The right Agent will find out what you are trying to do and will continue to tell you along the way what works and doesn’t work in the perspective of your desired wants and needs.

The magic happens when what you get done in your transaction matches your emotional feelings of the property. Be candid with your Agent and you, too, will enjoy such an experience.

It takes a willing Buyer and willing Seller to make a transaction work. The easiest way to figure out what the other side is thinking is to “put their hat on”, look at it from their eyes.

Are the things you treasure worth an extra $25,000 to a Buyer … really? Save the emotion for closing day.

Lisa Wetzel & Jim Valentine, CDPE, SFR, work for RE/MAX Realty Affiliates in the Carson Valley. Visit carsonvalleyland.com or call 775-781-5472 for information.