Top 7 Reasons Why FSBOs Fail To Sell Their Home On Their Own!

Writen by Lawrence Allen

In the United States, less than 10% of all For Sale by Owners (FSBOs), are successful in selling their home by themselves. That*s because most people just give up because they don*t realize from the beginning the difficulty and complexity of the job ahead. But that*s not the only reason. Here are the seven most common mistakes FSBOs make when selling their home.

1. Failure to price a property at what market conditions will bear.

The number one reason that most FSBOs don*t sell their homes is that they price it too high. Many start counting the money they*re saving on commissions and how much their sale will net. If your house is priced higher than other comparable houses in your market, you will not get the offers you need to sell!

2. Underestimating the time, energy, know how, ability and effort needed to sell a house.

One of the keys to selling your home effectively and profitably is complete accessibility. Many homes sit on the market much longer than necessary because the owner isn*t available to show the property. Realize that a certain amount of time each day is necessary to sell your home.

3. Not being prepared to deal with an onslaught of buyers who perceive FSBOs as targets for *low balling*.

Another challenge of selling a home is screening unqualified prospects and dealing with low-ballers. It often goes unnoticed that much time, effort and expertise is required to spot these people quickly. Settling for a low-ball bid is usually worse than paying any type of professional fee or commission.

4. Lack of knowledge about financing options for the buyer.

Are you prepared to answer questions about financing? One of the keys to selling is having all the necessary information the prospective buyer needs and to offer the buyer options. Think about the last time you purchased something of value, did you make a decision before you had all your ducks in a row? By offering financing options, you give the homebuyer the ability to work on their terms. You*ll open up the possibility of selling your home quicker and more profitably. It*s critical that you locate and establish relationships with a network of financing experts that will help you accomplish your goal profitably.

5. Not fully understanding the legal ramifications and all the necessary steps required in selling a home.

Many home sales have been lost due to incomplete paperwork, lack of inspections or not meeting your state*s disclosure laws. Are you completely informed of all the steps necessary to sell real estate? If not, you may want to consider consulting with a legal or real estate professional.

6. Lack of experience in handling the legal contracts, agreements and any disputes with buyers before or after the offer is presented.

Are you well versed in legalese? Are you prepared to handle disputes with buyers? It is always wise to put all negotiations and agreements in writing. Many home sales have been lost due to misinterpretation of what was negotiated.

7. Not contacting the necessary professionals… title, inspector (home and pest), attorney, and escrow company.

Are you familiar with top inspectors and escrow companies? Don*t randomly select inspectors, attorneys, and title reps. Like any profession, there are inadequate individuals who will slow, delay and possibly even cost you the transaction. Be careful!

Selling a home requires an intimate understanding of the real estate market. If the property is priced too high, it will sit and develop a reputation for being a problem property. If the property is priced too low, you will cost yourself money. Some FSBOs discovered that they lost money as a result of poor pricing decisions. In the final outcome, these mistakes far outweighed the commission they would have paid.

About The Author

Lawrence Allen has over 15 years experience as a marketing professional and a successful real estate investor. His experiences with numerous real estate, marketing and finance professionals has enabled him to develop a marketing system and Ebook for people trying to sell their home on their own. The For Sale By Owner (FSBO) Hassle-Free Home Sale System has received many praises from real estate professionals and home owners alike: http://www.fsbosaleshelp.com

10 Steps to Getting Top Dollar for Your Home

Writen by Richard Embro-Pantalony

When you decide to sell your home you should immediately begin referring to it as a house. You’ve become emotionally attached to this place and it’s now time to say goodbye. Start detaching yourself by making some changes that will help you with the sale of the house.

You probably have accumulated a lot of clutter over the years. This must be the first step.

1. Unclutter your home. Start in the basement and either throw things out or rent a locker off premises to store it until you move but prospective buyers need to see what the house looks like behind all your stuff. This means going room to room and clearing everything out that makes it look junkie and disorganized.

2. Neutralize the personal nature of your home. You may love the native tapestry on the living room wall from Bora Bora but I’ll guarantee 95% of your prospects will have it on their mind when they leave your home and not in a good way. Knick knacks and generally all things that you’ve previously enjoyed should be stored away until after the sale, that includes grandma’s spoon collection that takes up half a wall in the kitchen. Replace these things with neutral items like picture frames or vase with a simple arrangement.

3. Minor cosmetic work. Once you remove the clutter you will see all the things that you’ve been meaning to get to over the years. Painting where necessary, new carpet/s, moldings repaired, cracked plaster and re-taping/ repairing drywall. When making these improvements think neutral colors for any coverings be it paint or carpets. If you have hardwood floors sand them and finish them. Area rugs can look amazing. Whatever you do, don’t over do it. Try and think like a buyer.

4. Hire a professional cleaner. Once you have the house cleared you should hire a professional cleaning crew to wash the walls, windows, work over the kitchen and bathrooms, clean the floors and shampoo all carpets that don’t need to be replaced. Your house should be spotless and kept this way for the duration.

5. Staging each room. If your rooms are smaller rearrange the furniture to make the room look bigger. For example removing some furniture is better than having too much cramped in. Set your furniture up in conversation pit style. Like a gourmet coffee house, make it cozy. Pull couches away from walls to give the appearance of depth. Remove wall clutter, one or two pictures but no more. Generally make it look inviting.

6. Kitchen and bathrooms. These are the most important rooms in your home to a buyer. Make sure they are impeccable. Plumbing fixtures should be working properly and look like new or they should be replaced. Use a good cleaner or even a metal polish to make them gleam. Showers and tubs need to be spotless! Sinks and vanities need to be pristine and uncluttered. Kitchen cupboards should be orderly, doors opening and closing properly, drawers the same. I can’t stress enough how important these two rooms are to your potential outcome.

7. Doors and windows. First thing prospects see when they walk in your home is a door. Make sure its painted or cleaned up and that it will open and close properly. This goes for screen doors as well. Often screen doors are a problem people let go. Not anymore. Windows should all be cleaned and be sure if someone wants to open them that they work properly. If they have been painted closed as is the case with some older homes, now is the time to get them to open. Do whatever it takes.

8. Garages and workshops. These are the second most important areas. Again remove all clutter from the garage and make it accessible so you can actually park your car in it! As for the workshop, try and organize it so the handy person prospect will appreciate what they can do with their “new shop” when they move in. It’s all about your prospect picturing themselves in your house.

9. Family effort. Everyone in your family needs to be on board with the presentation of the house. This means your kids need to buy into the project and keep their rooms tidy. Bribe them if you need to but everyone has to help maintain the appearance of the entire house.

10. Odors and pets. Wow, is this ever important. If you have pets only you really love them. When you walk into a house with dogs or cats you immediately smell them, especially if you don’t have your own. Keep litter boxes fresh and clean daily. Restrict your animals if at all possible to certain areas of the home until after the sale. Vinegar and water will do wonders when you clean their areas every other day until the sale is complete, and top it off with effective air fresheners wherever you need them. Vacuum often with carpet fresh powders two or 3 times a week.

This sounds like quite a bit of work and it is. Try and remember that by following these tips you could easily add five to ten thousand dollars to the sale price of your home, maybe more. A little elbow grease now will be a solid investment.

The Author is the President/CEO of http://www.realestatemate.com, www.homeheap.com and www.agentsmate.com. He has over 26 years experience in the real estate industry.

©Copyright 2006, Used by Permission, All Rights Reserved

Richard Embro-Pantalony is the President/CEO of http://www.realestatemate.com. Author of “How To Sell Your Home Like a Pro” Expert advice - Save big on Realtor fees.

For Sale By Owner - Use This Tip To Sell Your Home Quicker and At a Better Price

Writen by Mike Makler

Your house is for sale by owner (fsbo), Along with columns of countless other FSBO’s in the Sunday paper. This one little trick will enable you to have your Ad Noticed by more potential buyers. More buyers means you to sell your home quicker and at a better price.

Have you ever gone to purchase a car. Did you notice when you negotiate the car dealer doesn’t tell you the price of the car he tells you the monthly payment. What would you rather pay $25,000 or $482.00 (a month).

You can use the same principal when it comes to selling your house. You can run an Ad that says 3 bedroom 2 bath 2,000 Square Foot Home in nice quiet neighborhood with Monthly payments of $499.88 for qualified buyers. What would you rather pay for a house $165,000 or $499.88 a month.

Here are 2 more Ads.

1. For Sale By Owner Nice House with Monthly Payments under $500 a Month, How much are you paying for rent?
2. Buy your Dream Home for less then a Car Payment on that Fancy SUV. Only $499 a Month for qualified buyers

You may have run the math and said how do you get a Payment of less then $500 a month on a $165,000 house, that can’t be right. Currently loans are available with a Major National lender at an interest rate of 1.25%. A $165,000 House with a 10% Down Payment would qualify for a mortgage of under $500 a month.

About the Author
Mike Makler Offers Financial Services (Mortgages,Life Insurance, Annuity) in Florissant Missouri which is in North St. Louis County Missouri Just Across the Bridge from St. Charles Missouri

Call Mike at 314 398-5547

Visit Mike’s Web Page:
http://ewguru.com/finance

For Missouri Specific Insurance and Loan Questions:
http://ewguru.com/Mo-Finance

Get Mike’s Newsletter Here
http://ewguru.com/fin-news

Copyright © 2005-2006 Mike Makler

Selling Your Home: Making an Impact Online

Writen by JK Clevenstine

The Internet has transformed how we do many things, like getting our news, sending greetings to others, even looking for a mate. And buying and selling real estate is no exception. Online listings are now the number one place buyers start when searching for a new home.

According to the National Association of Realtors, over 70 percent of buyers use the Internet to shop for a home. That’s a huge number. What that means is the photograph included with your home’s online listing is vitally important. Now buyers don’t even have to drive by your home before they dismiss it.

Including a sub-par photo of your home online is marketing suicide. For home buyers, looks do matter; and smart sellers will make the best presentation possible to online shoppers.

A quick visit to any online home listing website shows that many people just don’t get it. Sellers either don’t understand how important it is that you take the best photo possible, or they delegate the task to a real estate professional who may not have the time or inclination to set up a good shot.

Simple things like waiting for a sunny day, removing cars and bikes from the driveway and opening all of the window treatments can dramatically improve the exterior shot included with your listing. Taking several photos and working with simple picture editing software to crop off unsightly overhead wires or neighboring homes is well worth the extra effort.

The real key however, is not to stop with the exterior photo. Most online listing services allow multiple pictures of a home at a nominal cost. Staging a few rooms inside your home and adding photos of those rooms to your online listing will help lift response even more.

If you’re working with a real estate agent, it’s vitally important that they make your online listing a marketing priority. If they’re not, you need to be proactive in getting them to provide this service to you. All it takes is a digital camera, a computer, and a little effort to give your home a marketing edge online.

Find out how to sell your house for more money in less time in any market, whether you use a real estate agent or not. Simple methods for every type of home. http://www.StageSellProfit.com

How To Sell Your Home FSBO

Writen by Shirley Turetsky

You decide to sell your home and believe you can handle the selling process. Good for You!

Of course you’re a little nervous and that’s normal. You might stay awake at night wondering how long it is going to take to actually sell this home.

“Can I get my asking price?” You wonder.

Yes it is possible to sell for sale by owner and yes you can get your asking price.

If you followed the guidelines outlined in our Do It Yourself FSBO Tips for sellers you will have your home ready to sell.

So what’s the key to selling a home within a timely manner?

Readiness, Price, Terms and ADVERTISING!

Get your on-line listing and set your advertising budget for an aggressive marketing campaign.

What this means is blasting your home for sale in the newspaper locally and out of town where new buyers are coming from.

Use your on-line listing to direct your potential buyers to in your ads. This will keep your advertising dollars down for each ad, allowing you to advertise twice as much than if you placed a long detailed ad in the newspaper.

Giving you twice the exposure. Not to mention the attention your on-line listing service is attracting for you.

Run your ads for a month, this might even get you a discount with the newspapers. Ask for One!

If you sell your home before the month is over you should get a refund for the time unused.

Exposure is what it takes to get your home noticed. Price is what will sell it.

If you are selling a high dollar home your best option for a quick sale is to offer assistance to the buyer. Help them with the down payment and your home is sold!

People pay outrageous rents sometimes more than a mortgage would cost.

So the everyday living expenses are easy, it’s the saving of the down payment that holds people back. Take away that problem that holds them back and you’ve got a sale!

If you take an aggressive approach to selling right off the back using the Internet as your main marketing tool you should have an offer on the table within no time.

If you don’t get an offer within the first few weeks reevaluate your price. Consider helping with the down payment by offering a small second mortgage to open the market for more qualified buyers.

Here’s a sample ad you could place in the newspapers utilizing your on-line listing.

$5000 Down 3/2 FSBO

Brandon Fl. No Realtors

www.xxxxxxxx.net/listings/99999.html

555-555-5555

This short ad will lead all potential buyers to view all the details and photos of your property for sale. Allowing them instant access to learn more about your property before they even call you.

Working for you to Sell itself.

Good Luck and Don’t Give Up!

Shirley Turetsky is the owner/webmaster for http://www.TodaysAds.net Central Florida’s for sale by owner listings. You can find her Do It Yourself FSBO Tips for buyers and seller to guide you through all your real estate transactions. More articles about real estate can be found at http://www.todaysads.net

Selling Your Home: Top 5 Reasons FSBO’s Don’t Sell

Writen by Donald Lawson

As a home inspector, I get to see many mistakes by people selling their home without a real estate agent, commonly referred to as FSBO’s or For Sale By Owner. If you do your homework and research and have some financial sense, you can probably sell your own home. However, I see many people who fail when going this route.

Here’s why:

1. Pricing The Home Too High: Seems everyone thinks they live in a goldmine. The common misconception is that they will price it high so they can come down a little bit during negotiations. This has several problems related to it.

Here’s one. Many homebuyers are on a budget. Let’s say I’m looking for a home like yours in your neighborhood and most of the homes there that are comparable are in the 135k to 145k ranges. However, you have tile floors and stainless steel sinks along with a few other cosmetic improvements. You think your home is worth at least 147k. Tack on a few thousand more “so you can come off of the price during negotiations” and you start your home at 152k

As a homebuyer, the most I can spend is 145k. Although your home is what I’m looking for, you’re outside my price range so I won’t even bother to look at your house.

That’s just one example of how a too high price is going to hurt you. There are many, many more!

2. Letting Emotions Direct Your Actions: Many times this is the reason your home is priced too high. Remember, this is a business transaction. You have a product to sell, you need act accordingly.

3. Failing to Get Your Home Inspected Before Listing: I’ve seen FSBO’s go to great trouble and expense to get their home ready to sell only to find out from the potential Buyers Inspector that there are major structural, plumbing, electrical or mechanical issues with the home.

Depending on the severity of the problems, this probably cost you a Buyer and it means your home will be sitting on the market for a few more weeks or months.

National survey’s reveal that homes that have had pre-inspections sell faster with less hassle at closing. FSBO’s are no different.

4. Being a Jerk: I see this one more than you’d think. For some reason selling your home by yourself seems to give you a special excuse to be a jerk judging by the way some FSBO’s act.

Being unreasonable in your actions will drive away Buyers. No one likes a jerk!

I’ve seen FSBO’s make some of the most stupid request of Buyers like; one guy would only show his home on Sunday afternoons between 4 and 6 p.m. and you had to RSVP so he’d have you on his “list”. He wondered why no one was showing up at this home. I saw another FSBO that would not allow his home to be inspected without him, his attorney and his inspector being present. He also required each item to be brought up to him and his group before telling the Buyer. Needless to say, we didn’t inspect this home. Note: many state SOP’s require that you do not divulge information to anyone other than the Client.

It’s a fact of life, being a jerk cost you money. Not only in real life, but also when you go to sell your home!

5. Not Pre-qualifying Your Buyers: Letting any old Moe and Joe lock up your home while they try and get qualified can cost you Buyers if they fail to qualify for a loan. Require that all potential Buyers be pre-qualified!

You have permission to distribute, copy and share this article in any way you see fit as long as the article remains intact including the resource box below.

Donald Lawson is a Houston Texas home inspector (Lic (#5824) and Oklahoma (#454). He currently owns and operates V.I.P. Home Inspections, a multi-inspector firm in Houston Texas. You can find out more by clicking here Houston Real Estate.

Realtors and FSBO’s Can Work Together!

Writen by Andrea Rothman

For Sale By Owner homes are often a sore spot for realtors who believe that they, and only they, have the skills, resources and experience to sell a home and get top dollar for their client. But realtors are missing a great opportunity to talk to buyers if they fail to capitalize on what FSBO’s have to offer…A HOME FOR SALE!

And FSBO’s are so determined to do everything without a realtor that they make some very simple mistakes…Buyers do not like the owner to be around when they go to open houses…it makes them uncomfortable and unable to talk freely about the home. Also, buyers are under the impression that they will get a FSBO home for less money, so they tend to lowball their offers.

So, how can realtors and FSBOs help each other??? A realtor can market a home for a FSBO without any fee if the owner agrees to pay the realtor a buyer’s agent commission should that agent bring a buyer to the table. In a return, the realtor could hold open homes with the potential to not only sell that home, but pick up buyers who may not be interested in that particular home, but are not currently working with an agent. I have seen this work with great success for both parties!

Andrea Rothman is a REALTOR in the SF East Bay and has worked with many buyers and sellers. Visit her website at http://www.bay-homes.net, or contact her by phone 510-734-4683 or by email at arothmanhomes@aol.com.

Descriptive Terms in Real Estate Ads - Even More Definitions

Writen by Raynor James

If you are buying or selling a home, the chances are good you struggle with the meaning of descriptive real estate terms. Here are explanations and definitions for more terms.

“Living Room” & “Family Room”

When a home has both a living room and a family room, we know which is which. It used to be that when an ad mentioned a family room, we could assume it also had a living room. Now some builders are building houses with something akin to the first use of “Great Room” above and calling it the “Family Room” on the floor plan. Thus houses and their terminology seem to be evolving. I suppose in the new builder speak we should just think of the room as an informal family living room.

“Patio” & “Terrace”

Both are outdoor living areas paved with something like slate or brick. A patio is level with the ground around it. A terrace has adjoining areas of ground which are higher, or lower, or perhaps both.

“Solarium,” “Sun Room,” “Florida Room”

These terms are used to describe rooms with lots of windows (often on three sides). Many times these areas also have skylights. The choice of what to call them seems purely personal. They tend to be charming, bright, sunny places in which to over winter plants and sit in the garden in chilly or downright cold weather.

“Jack and Jill Bath”

A bathroom with two doors into it. It is frequently situated between two bedrooms with doors to each. Sometimes the doors are into a bedroom and into a hallway.

“Waterfront” vs. “Water View”

Waterfront property actually has a common boundary with (frontage on) the water. Sometimes the property line actually goes into the water. Water view just means water can be seen from the property. Sometimes there is a beautiful view. Sometimes it means the water can be seen from one upstairs window when the leaves are off the trees! Also, many times a new structure might block the view at some time in the future unless there is a protective covenant or something to prevent it.

If you can get the verbiage down, you’ll be way ahead in the real estate game. Look for future articles on this subject or visit our site to read more terms.

Raynor James is with the FSBO site - http://www.fsboamerica.org - FSBO homes for sale by owner. Visit our “sell my home” page - http://www.fsboamerica.org/seller.cfm - to sell your house yourself with a free 1 month listing.

Is FSBO Safe?

Writen by Nicholas Butler

Safety is often raised as an issue in FSBO (For Sale By Owner) real estate sales. Some real estate agents try to scare homeowners into listing with them by claiming that is unsafe. Some homeowners are unsure how to show their property safely.

By taking a few sensible precautions there is no reason why selling your home FSBO should be any less safe than selling through a real estate agent. In fact selling FSBO should be safer. There is nothing that a real estate agent does to vet buyers that FSBO homeowners cannot do for themselves.

What does a real estate agent do?

Real estate agents claim that they vet prospective buyers before they visit your property but what does this mean? Does the real estate agent check whether the buyer has a criminal record for violent crimes or theft? Of course they don’t. At best, the agent may get a name, address and contact number of the buyer before they visit.

Getting a contact number for buyers is easy, just ask when the buyer calls to enquire about viewing your property. Before the buyer visits call them back to confirm that they are still coming. This lets you confirm that the contact number is genuine and also reduces the likelihood of no-shows.

FSBO advert contact details

It is advisable to limit the amount of information that you make available through online FSBO advertising. Some homeowners include their full name, telephone numbers, e-mail address, street address of the property for sale and times when they are at home. Whilst including this information is not enough to forge documents such as a passport it is enough to gain unwanted attention from confidence tricksters.

A potential buyer only needs to know your first name to make polite initial contact. There is no need to include your surname and titles in your FSBO advert.

Choose an online advert that protects your email address. There are programs that trawl the web looking for published email addresses. If you post your email address in your FSBO advert you are asking to receive spam.

The better FSBO sites such as www.smartvendor.com.au have online messaging systems that allow buyers and sellers to communicate online while keeping email addresses private

When selling your own home a mobile (cell) phone is invaluable. Not only are homeowners less likely to miss a call from a potential buyer but also a potential thief cannot cold call the property to check whether anybody is home.

Open house inspections

We don’t recommend holding an open house viewing when selling your property. Open house inspections are hard to supervise and many buyers find viewing a property with lots of other buyers unproductive and frustrating.

Real estate agents use open houses as a way of getting leads about other properties that are for sale. Often the real estate agent will stand at the front of a house to make sure buyers receive details of their agency. But once inside the property buyers are allowed to roam around unsupervised.

Potential thieves can use open house inspections to check out security systems and case the properties if left to roam unsupervised. Don’t provide too much detail relating to your home’s security system to a buyer on their initial visit.

Common sense rules

When you are holding viewings of your property follow these common sense rules:

Remove all valuables from the property. Take them off site preferably in a safe deposit box. Don’t just put them in a drawer.

Make sure there are two people in the property at all times. Ask a friend or family member to accompany you. Only one of you need conduct the viewing.

Keep blinds and curtains open during viewings this allows people outside to see in to the property and will potentially deter somebody thinking of getting up to no good.

Showing your property after dark

Allowing buyers to drop in for viewings without a prior appointment is not recommend and especially not if the buyer is requesting an impromptu viewing after dark. Politely explain that you’re happy to show your home during daylight hours, when the buyer can fully appreciate your home’s wonderful features. Offer a flyer or information sheet to take away.

FSBO may not be for you

FSBO is not for everybody. In order to sell your own home you must be prepared to show potential buyers around the property. If you are uncomfortable doing this or feel that your circumstances would make you especially vulnerable it would be wise to consider using a traditional real estate agent.

Nicholas Butler is an member of the smartvendor.com.au team

Smartvendor.com.au is an Australian For Sale By Owner (FSBO) Site . - Smartvendor.com.au is committed to providing Australian homeowners a value for money alternative to traditional real estate agents

http://www.smartvendor.com.au

For Sale By Owner - Showing Your Home

Writen by Lee Dobbins

One of the most daunting tasks any “for sale by owner” home seller is faced with is the showings. When you don’t have a realtor to insulate you (the seller) from the potential buyer, things can get a bit sticky.

Of course, before any of that comes about, you must do your research and price your home appropriately as well as advertise it in the right places to attract potential buyers. One thing you must do is come up with a data sheet of sorts on the house, one that lists the particulars such as number of bedrooms, type of house etc.. You should also make sure you list any flaws or problems that you are required by law to reveal.

Once that is all done you are ready to show that house, or are you?

The first part to showing the house, of course is getting a call from a prospective buyer. If you only have one line then sign up for the call waiting feature from your telephone company. Instruct everyone in the household to take calls that come through and pass on to you any calls for inquiries on the house.

Once you get a call, try to take it in a quiet area of the home an have all your information in front of you. Have your feature list handy to answer any of their questions and have a list of your own. Make sure you put a calendar in a handy spot to book appointments. If you do make an appointment for a showing, be sure to get their name and number in case something comes up and you have to cancel.

If your home has been viewed before, you might want to let them know there are other parties interested to create a sense of urgency. Also mention if you are having an open house since the added traffic will make your home more desirable.

Before each showing, you will have to get your house into tip top shape. That means it should be spotlessly clean and all clutter put away. No kids toys in the yard and the kids and pets should be sent somewhere else for the duration of the showing. For this reason, it is most convenient to book appointments on the same day and in 15 to 20 minute intervals. One potential buyer will be walking in the door just as another is leaving. This will create a feeling of urgency in your prospects. They won’t want to loose the home to the nice couple that came out ahead of them or those that came in after them. Remember, you have to work the angles if you want to compete with the realtor selling down the street.

Also, it’s not in your best interest to waste time showing the house to people whose needs it really doesn’t serve. Try to get as much information from the caller as possible and try not to be too put off by the caller’s phone manner, they may be nervous or hate talking on the phone. Ask them what exactly they are looking for and the price range. If you know they wouldn’t be interested or can’t afford it (perhaps they are downsizing and you’re selling a three bedroom home) you shouldn’t bother booking an appointment.

Find out if they are currently selling a home or renting. When do they need to move in and have they already been approved for a mortgage? If they haven’t been pre-qualified you might ask questions about where they work, how long they’ve been looking for a place, etc. Be very tactful and conversational. You don’t want to interrogate them, but you don’t want to waste your time if they have no way to afford buying the home.

In some cases you will find that these few comments may weed out some who are not reasonably able to work with you. This will avoid the exasperation and disappointment of showing your home too many times to unlikely buyers. However, in most cases you will want to encourage a viewing so keep their answers for referral later.

Remember, the appearance of your home will leave a lasting impression on potential buyers so it is vital to have it in pristine condition when they arrive. It doesn’t hurt to have a nice batch of cookies baking or some aromatic coffee brewing. Turn on some ambient lighting, light the fireplace and make sure the house looks it’s best for a sure sale!

Lee Dobbins writes for Moving and More where you can find out more about selling your house, buying a new house and finding a new job.