First Impressions are Everything
Put your “home buyer” shoes on for a moment. Imagine yourself at your computer in the morning when you receive your daily new listings email. Listing A has its own web site, tons of gorgeous photos, a great map to show where it is and neighbourhood information. Listing B has no photos, no web site and can’t be found on the listing agent’s site, no map and very little information.
Which property would you consider going to see?
Lets say you decide to have a look at Listing A & C. Listing A has great curb appeal, is nice and clean and has excellent marketing materials. Listing C has an unkempt lawn, stained carpets and bad paint, with some b&w photocopies of the listing.
Your negotiating position is established the first time a potential buyer sees your home.
In the first scenario, most buyers will go see home A, with lots of pictures and its own web site, if it meets their needs. Most buyers will also dismiss home B with no photos, fearing it will be a waste of their time since they have no idea what the home is like. If they do decide to look at home B they will naturally feel more confident in the negotiating position, and feel less pressure from other potential buyers.
In the second scenario, again the buyers will have a better feeling about home A, and will also know that other buyers will feel the same way. If they decide to go for home C it will most likely be because they feel they can get a deal, and pressure the sellers to accept a lower price.
All in all, the goal is to negotiate from a position of strength, and everything you do from the moment you go on the market affects your negotiating position.
