CHAPTER 3 Not Living in Your Home Makes It Easier to Sell
Some real estate professionals profess that it is 10 times easier to sell a house the seller is not currently living in than an owner- occupied home. For instance, buyer-agent showings may be increased. It is more efficient for real estate agents’ schedules to show unoccupied homes. If they have 20 homes to show and 5 are occupied, they may show the vacant homes first — or only — because it’s easier. They do not have to call and make an appointment. They can arrange with seller or seller’s agent to go to the home and access it via the lockbox. Also, a homeowner is not interrupted at inopportune times to show the home. A seller doesn’t have to go to a neighbor’s, go to the store, or lurk about the house while buyers are looking. Further, the seller isn’t under continual pressure to keep the home in immaculate showing condition and spotless at all times. With small children, this can be almost impossible to do, even if one of the parents does not hold a job outside of the home.
Finally, the home can be “staged” for sale.
STATISTICS FOR SELLING VACANT HOMES
Statistics from a 2015 survey indicate that homes expiring from their primary listings were generally homes that were lived in by tenants or the homeowners themselves. There were 400 homes listed on the market as owner occupied. Approximately 36% of 10
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