Countless Showings, But No Offers? What You Should Do Next…

Dave,

Our house has been on the market for what seems like ages! We would really like to sell it as soon as possible because the whole process is beginning to wear us out! We’ve had countless showings and even a few open houses. Why we don’t have any offers is a mystery to us. The house is in good condition and we think we are in a great location. Have you had houses in the past that just don’t seem to sell? Do you have any ideas on why we aren’t getting any offers? What can we do differently to ensure our home gets sold in the near future?

Judy and Bob, Grand Junction

Judy and Bob,

Fear not, you are not alone! Yes, I have had houses that just would not sell and believe me, there is no magic bullet or secret sauce to end the frustration of the house that is a chronic non-seller! There are times when, even if you reduce the price to a below market value buyers still find them unsavory and not offer worthy. I have heard it said in the medical field that the disease with no diagnosis and no known cure is always the hardest one to treat! The same is true in real estate, but ultimately in real estate there is always an answer! Keep the faith, because unless you have one of the chosen few that just stubbornly refuse to sell, I am going to be able to give you some idea of where to look and adjust to get your desired result.

I tell people all the time, I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer and I am living proof you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to be successful at selling homes. The process, when boiled down to the basics, is really quite simple regardless of how complicated people choose to make it.  You want to be on target with the three things you can control, Price, Condition and Marketing. It sounds like your agent is doing their job effectively from a marketing perspective. You have had many showings and they have even held open houses to help generate traffic and attract buyers to your home, yet no offers. It also sounds like the condition is good. If you have not received feedback that indicates that you need to make some changes to the condition in order to entice buyers, then it is likely that you are in good. Now what we have left is price. Price is always the most difficult subject to tackle for any agent or any seller!

Where price is concerned there are a couple ways to attack it. You will either be willing to listen to the market and adjust the price accordingly or you will choose to set it and forget it and wait till you find the right butt for the saddle. There are cases that can be made for both approaches. First, statistically speaking, you should have had an offer within 12 showings (on average) all else being equal. If “countless” showings means in excess of 12 then you really need to start considering a reconsideration of your pricing strategy. If you are nearing or over 18 showings it is likely time for action. I have heard sellers say this countless times, “all the feedback indicates that the price is ok, nobody is objecting to our price so it must be something else. If the buyer is interested they will surely make an offer.” I can tell you, this is faulty (but VERY common) logic. No offers and no or few second showings means they are objecting to your price by purchasing something they perceive is a better value at a similar price. Believe me, if a buyer smells value they will pounce! The “real” feedback you need to listen to is the lack of offers…sometimes that silence provides truth.  If you decide to wait long enough one of two things will happen, the market will catch you (assuming the market is going up) or you will find the perfect butt for your seat! I have seen both methods be successful, one just typically takes a lot longer than the other and is ultimately more frustrating.

To move the process along at a faster pace, be willing to adjust your price until you get the desired result. The good news is you have had a lot of showings so you probably are not way off, probably a 3-5% adjustment will do the trick! Talk to your agent and get their input on a proper price adjustment. I would bet your desired outcome is closer than it feels! Hang in there and Best of luck. I hope this helps.

Dave Kimbrough
The Kimbrough Team

HAVE A QUESTION? ASK DAVE!

dave@thekimbroughteam.com