Be Cautious That You Don’t Talk Yourself Straight Out Of The Sale: A Lesson On Never Miss a Good Chance To “Shut Up” When Selling Your House

Selling Your Home: Know When to Shut Up

Keep a less is more attitude is crucial when it comes to talking with prospective buyers. Below are some things that agents have experienced with their sellers saying that are big no-nos, or, things that sellers should never let slip to buyers, or the agents representing them. See: 10 Best-Kept Secrets for Buying a Home.

The house is in pristine condition. The home inspection may reveal otherwise, and, as a seller, you don’t want to wind up putting your foot in your mouth. Perfect condition doesn’t exist. Every house, whether it is brand new or a resale, has something that needs to be fixed, adjusted, replaced, or improved upon.

How long it’s been on the market. 

Never, ever discuss how long the home has been on the market with prospective buyers. This info is often listed and available on the home’s information sheet, but bringing it up (especially if the home has been available forever) can send buyers the wrong message.

We’ve never had a problem with…

If you’re hoping to move quickly, you may be tempted to tell a few little white lies. Realtors agree that even the slightest white lies could come back to you with teeth. You’re setting yourself up for potential liability. You may not even be aware of the problem at first, but it could translate into an embarrassing moment upon inspection. So come clean with what you know and admit what you don’t.

We always wanted to fix that, but…

Nobody cares about good intentions. When sellers point out things they might change, this only alerts the buyer of more upcoming costs for them. Read: Top Tips for First-Time Homebuyers, and, the Advice Buyers Guide.

We spent a ton of money on…

Just because you love certain things you put into the home and spent a lot of money on, that doesn’t mean prospective buyers will be willing to shell out for it. The buyer doesn’t care how much money you shelled out on your kitchen. They are only going to offer what they feel the home is worth in relation to area comparable sales. Don’t sound trying too hard to justify your price.

I’m not taking less than “this” amount for my home

When it comes time to sell, it makes sense that you want top dollar. We get it! But at the same time, it’s important to be realistic and open to offers within a reasonable range. If you send a message that you are inflexible or not open to negotiating, it may not invite buyers to even try to work out acceptable price and terms as they will feel defeated from the start.

2 thoughts on “Be Cautious That You Don’t Talk Yourself Straight Out Of The Sale: A Lesson On Never Miss a Good Chance To “Shut Up” When Selling Your House

  1. I’ve heard the one that talks less in negotiations is usually the one with the upper hand. Is this true? I have a lot of questions, and fear I might have asked too many, and talked too much.

  2. Hi Ben,

    It often is true that the one that speaks the most loses in a negotiation. I was not present for the meeting, so I cannot tell you how it went. In the future, try and let your realtor speak for you and only chime in when it is absolutely necessary. Hopefully your realtor is skilled and knows how to negotiate, as that is one of their jobs, if not their main job!

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