There are five basic questions that you can ask that will tell how desperate a seller is to sell and give you some leverage in the negotiation process.
We suggest that you ask these questions at every home you visit:
First: To get used to asking them (and get your consultant used to answering).
Second: So that you get comparable information from all the houses you see.
Third: So you don’t let the ‘cat out of the bag’ to the seller , so to speak, about which home you REALLY, REALL want.
1. What is the asking price of this home?
The way this is worded, allows you to communicate that you realize that most times price is flexible.
Your consultant may be able to tell you just how flexible that price could be.
2. Why is the home being sold?
Selling a home is a huge undertaking – time wise, financially, and emotionally – so there’s always a good reason that someone will be selling their home.
Three reasons that people usually sell: they’re moving out of the area, they need the money, or it’s taking too much time and effort.
All three reasons boil down to the fact that the seller needs money.
3. How quickly does the seller want to close?
What you’re really asking here is – what is their timeline? Have they bought a home? Do they have a next step? You want, and need to know the answer to this question– to figure out just how flexible the seller will be when selling.
To keep the bargaining advantage, listen for the answer to be based upon the seller’s needs – not yours.”
4. How long have the owners lived here?
Or – How long has it been vacant?
Short Term vs. Long Term:
If the owner has only been there 6 months, there may be some underlying problems that they don’t want to deal with and you won’t either!
If the owner has been there several years – they may also have problems that will be arising (replacing the air conditioning, rewiring, or re-plumbing). But they most likely want to sell because the property has appreciated enough to make it worth their while.
Unless there are some real issues that would make the home unattractive to buyers, the seller will be asking more for the home than they paid. Nobody ever wants to sell for less than what something is worth, so you’ll need to prove why your offer is beneficial to them.
5. What repairs or upgrades have been done?
Specifically to the electrical, plumbing, air conditioning, roof, or structure.
Repairs to such things could tell you about underlying problems that you might not want to deal with – but also could contribute to the value of the home.
Maybe they redid the air conditioning – because there was a new more energy-efficient product available – which paid for itself in savings in the first year. Maybe it has a new roof that will last until you’re ready to sell.
Summary: The 5 Strategic Questions
- ✅ Price: Determine how flexible the asking price is.
- ✅ Motivation: Why are they selling? (Do they need cash?)
- ✅ Timeline: How fast do they need to move?
- ✅ History: How long have they lived there (or left it vacant)?
- ✅ Condition: What major repairs have been completed?
Ask these questions at every home to uncover the seller’s true motivation and gain the upper hand in negotiations.
Want early access to serious buyers?
If you’re going to be moving in the next six months, what you might not realize is that there are a significant number of buyers searching for homes like yours.
In fact, for every buyer actively viewing homes right now, there are 5-10 more about to begin their search, or eagerly waiting for the perfect property to come up.
If you’re interested in getting a head start on finding a buyer for your home, leave us some details below… We’ll see if we can find a match!
Want to know what your home is worth?
Before you put your house on the market, you need to find out how much it’s worth in today’s market, so you can make your plans based on the most current information available.
We can prepare a detailed Pin-Point Price Analysis for you that shows the most current market activity in your area for homes like yours, and we can recommend an optimal marketing price range that will give you the best odds of selling quickly – and for top dollar!