do your clients believe these real estate myths?
TRANSCRIPT
Collectively, the members of Jason Cohen's
informal real estate advising group, Jason Cohen
Pittsburgh, have worked with a lot of clients - and
needed to reset a lot of false assumptions in the
process.
TOO MANY REAL ESTATE CLIENTS
BELIEVE DAMAGING MYTHS.
Myth #1
Realistically, even promising potential
buyers will bypass listings that seem
too far out of their target price range,
and leave good homes stagnating on
the market. Sellers should establish a
reasonable initial ask that both appeals
to potential buyers and gives the seller
space to reasonably lower the price
during negotiations.
ADVERTISING A HIGHER
INITIAL PRICE IS BETTER.
Myth #2
While an independent sale is technically
possible, it requires a great deal of work
and time on the part of the seller - and
often, independent owners don’t have
the marketing skills or industry
experience to successfully attract buyers
and negotiate a profitable deal. Real
estate professionals know how to make a
profitable deal; moreover, their sales
commission is factored into the overall
price of the home.
SELLERS CAN MAKE MORE
OF A PROFIT WITHOUT AN
AGENT.
Myth #3
Your client may think that their home will
net more with pricey new countertops
and redone bathrooms, but major
remodels could potentially turn away
otherwise interested buyers. There is no
guarantee that the client will get their
investment back, and the updates your
client favors may not be to a buyer’s
liking. Clients should stick with safe and
relatively cheap fixes such as laying new
carpeting or replacing outdated
appliances.
SELLERS SHOULD RENOVATE
THEIR HOME BEFORE
PUTTING IT ON THE MARKET.
Myth #4
Zillow’s price estimation tool should
always be used as a general guide,
rather than a means to define price.
While the company is constantly striving
to improve their algorithm, Zestimate can
misquote by thousands if the property
data it sources is incorrect. Real estate
agents should always conduct their own
assessments before establishing a
starting price.
ZILLOW’S ZESTIMATE IS
ALWAYS ACCURATE.