too friendly with potential buyers in order to make the sale. But this tactic almost always backfires. While it’s important to be professional, and friendly to a certain extent, don’t allow the personal nature of someone being in your home allow you to get into too many long, unnecessary discussions, especially of a personal nature, because personality conflicts often cloud judgments. You could also end up revealing too much that doesn’t need to be said, shutting down a potential deal. Remember, this could be their new home. If you start jabbering on about your precious longtime family home being “too big for a couple just starting out” or how the “new neighbors have been tough to deal with” or how “things in the neighborhood have been changing for the worse,” etc., you might end up squashing the buyer’s interest and a potential sale.
MISTAKE #9. UNDERESTIMATING CLOSING COSTS
Don’t underestimate all the closing costs involved. Many homeowners nearing retirement are guilty of this, simply because it’s been so long since they last sold a home. Far too often, sellers consider only the asking price of their home without factoring in and calculating all the other costs associated with the sale, such as:
• Real estate agent commission • Marketing and advertising costs • Attorney costs and closing agent fees • Excise/gains tax (if applicable)
• Prorated costs for such items as property taxes, homeowners association (HOA) costs, and utilities • Any other fees like appraisals, inspections, buyer’s closing costs, etc. While we’re talking about costs, don’t make the mistake of 61
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