Home Sellers Guilt?
Guilt, such a wasted emotion.
The title on this is Home Sellers guilt.
How could that be? How can a Home Seller ever feel guilty?
Guilt has become so entrenched in our society that its almost a normal, accepted thought. We all have examples of how others have tried to make us feel guilty. Its being used as a tool to induce others to get you to do, or not do something you want them to do or think. Too many times we justify the use because we are trying to get our point across and for good or bad, it has become amazingly effective.
We use it to shape kids’ behavior. Social media, news media and politicians certainly try to use guilt to make us think in a way that is beneficial to their mindset and shameful if not. As much as I know that guilt is a wasted emotion, I still feel it. An example recently, I had the opportunity to get the early vaccine for the virus because of my volunteering at Kobacker House, I was considered a healthcare worker. Trust me, at 59 and supposedly healthy and one of those people who rarely get sick, I was seriously considering not getting the shot. Certainly, there were others who deserved it more, I was feeling a lot of guilt.
Now this emotion is getting into the real estate market. If you have been paying attention, you know the real estate market is very tight in many price ranges and in most areas. When I get a nice, well priced listing, its not uncommon to get multiple offers, many over asking price. If you have a $250,000 house/condo in a great school district and good location, its not uncommon to get 10 offers! Along with the offers, Buyers might write a “story” that will ultimately tug at the homeowner’s heartstrings. (As an industry we are discouraging these letters for various reasons but if we get them, we are instructed to give to homeowners). Many times, the offers are almost identical so how do you choose?
Sometimes homeowners must choose between a Veteran, a 1st time homebuyer, a newlywed couple, or a family who has lost out on 3 other houses! Homeowners can only accept 1 offer. After I try to council them, they still feel guilty about not accepting an offer that might be $10k more than asking and free possession for 30 days! Of course, then I must inform the losing Buyers Agent who will sometimes go out of their way to make me and the homeowner feel guilt!
This is the worst part of this Seller’s market!
Since I list and represent Buyers, I am on the other side (Buyers Agent) sometimes and I get frustrated with the Owners and Listing Agent, but I would never try to “guilt” them. Unfortunately, some Agents have no empathy for Buyers, and it does not come across very well.
If I am a listing agent and I have 10 offers, 9 were not accepted, I make it a point to call and talk to each and every agent 1st, letting them know I and my Sellers feel their pain. We are very understanding of the emotions of writing a more than full price offer on their forever home, and not being able to purchase. More often than not, they appreciate the call, and I will not get the call from them making me feel the guilt for not getting their offer accepted.
Instead of trying to make you feel guilt, can you imagine getting a personal call from a politician or an adversary on social media who disagrees with you, that shows some empathy from your point of view, it would go a long way.
Oct 2020 Columbus Ohio Real Estate Needs