SELLING & MARKETING

Three More Ways to Get Sellers to Improve Their Listing

By Stephen and Jean Leslie

You hope to list a seller's home. It's structurally sound and recently painted, but it needs repairs---conspicuous things, such as replacing sagging shutters and a rusty gutter and fixing dents in the indoor woodwork. But the sellers feel that their work stops at a fresh coat of paint. How can you help them see the need for more extensive work?

1. Get the opinion of a third party. Ask other salespeople or your manager to preview the house and coach the sellers about needed repairs. That way, you don't come across as the bad guy who knocked their Elvis shrine and orange shag walls. Then reciprocate the favor for your colleagues. And scan your newspaper's real estate section for articles on getting homes ready for sale and send them to the sellers.

2. Show them; don't tell them. Before you list their home, invite the sellers on an afternoon's house tour to check out the competition: well-maintained houses in the same price range. It's often a sobering experience for them to see how tough the competition is. But point out other houses' flaws as well. It may help them see their home's shortcomings more clearly.

3. Ask a home inspector for an inspection checklist. Have sellers walk around their home, checking off the condition of the items on the list. Besides forcing them to examine many aspects of their property that they might not have done otherwise, the list educates them about the home inspection process. And they may realize they have to repair functional and safety features, such as that old sump pump, not just make cosmetic changes.

Stephen Leslie is a salesperson with Long & Foster's Columbia office, 10805 Hickory Ridge Road, Columbia, MD 21044; 410/730-3456. Jean Leslie is a freelance writer based in Columbia, Md.

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