Selling a house is so frustrating. No one gives feedback!

[StitchesGr8Fan]

I am just so over the home selling process after a month. 12 showings, and only 3 people have left any feedback. And that feedback was not interested. I wish they would give my agent more (is it something fixable like decor, or not fixable like location?) but I’m grateful that 3 people at least said no.
This whole thing is an emotional thorn in my side, like student loans are for other people. My agent wants it to stay a rental, I can tell, and I’m stuck with him just in case I do have to rent it out again. (He’s a phenomenal property manager.)

I’m trying hard to be patient and trust God’s timing. I just wish I knew if there was something I could do to improve my chances for a sale.

 

[morgan98]

I don't know the market is your particular area, but I do know one general rule...the biggest reason a house doesn't sell is because it is priced incorrectly.

Maybe a month isn't enough time, but in general, pricing is the biggest issue. Setting the correct price upfront is key, so you don't have to keep adjusting downward as the listing becomes stale.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

If you want to post pictures or a link to the listing here, I’m sure people could give you feedback on what kind of impression your house gives off.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Compared to our current experience, you are doing well. 12 showings in a month is good. We are in Maryland trying to sell MIL's condo in Florida. It has been on the market since May 1, 2019. No feedback. Realtor had many open houses. It is currently under contract so hope it goes through.

Maybe this will put things into a better perspective for you.

Good luck.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Our house was on the market for several months with only a few bites, but none to really close the sale. Then we went house hunting to where we wanted to move, found a couple of houses we liked and went home. We called our agent and told him we wanted it sold in a week or two. What price should it be? We gave him a suggested new price, he agreed and we had a contract for sale in two weeks.

Make sure the house looks neat, not crowded inside (get rid of all the extra stuff, either by donation, sale or trash).

 

[tvguy]

Compared to our current experience, you are doing well. 12 showings in a month is good. We are in Maryland trying to sell MIL's condo in Florida. It has been on the market since May 1, 2019. No feedback. Realtor had many open houses. It is currently under contract so hope it goes through.

Maybe this will put things into a better perspective for you.

Good luck.

I had no idea what to expect when I sold my parents house in 2013. It was move in ready, if you were ready to move into 1960. Other than the flooring in the family room, kitchen, laundry room and two bathrooms, it was "as built" down to the original appliances in the kitchen, and pink tile in the bathroom. We had 57 Real Estate agents leave cards the first week it was on the market if those count as showings. It sold in 17 days. Only 12 showings in a month would be a disappointment to me.
At least here, Condos can run hot and cold. My nephew bought a condo in Davis, while he was working at UC Davis. Davis is a college town. Took him 5 YEARS to sell it when he took another job on the east coast. No financial hardship though, because it could rent it for more than the payment was, and it was always rented out.

 

[_19disnA]

When we recently sold our house, the best and most useful feedback came from our realtor. Some people looking at your home may find it isn't what they were looking for and tend to give superficial feedback instead of saying 'not what we are looking for'. Make sure you have chosen a realtor who is on the same page with you and is actively working to sell it. A good realtor will know the local market, suggest a selling price and any changes recommended to increase the chance for a sale.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

If your agent wants it to stay a rental, is there any chance he’s not doing his all to try to sell it?

 

[low-key]

moving, buying or saleing a house is miserable, thats why next time I move it will be in a nursing home

 

[VandVsmama]

I am just so over the home selling process after a month. 12 showings, and only 3 people have left any feedback. And that feedback was not interested. I wish they would give my agent more (is it something fixable like decor, or not fixable like location?) but I’m grateful that 3 people at least said no.
This whole thing is an emotional thorn in my side, like student loans are for other people. My agent wants it to stay a rental, I can tell, and I’m stuck with him just in case I do have to rent it out again. (He’s a phenomenal property manager.)

I’m trying hard to be patient and trust God’s timing. I just wish I knew if there was something I could do to improve my chances for a sale.

General thoughts on your dilemma:

1. If your agent is motivated to keep the house as a rental, then he's not really on your side with the goal being to SELL it.
2. Some of the things that made it attractive as a rental might actually be detracting it to home buyers who intend to move in and live in the house (i.e., not renters).
3. Any decent real estate agent will have professional photos taken of a house he/she is listing for sale. So if your agent is posting photos with his/her smart phone, then get a new agent.
4. Go and look at your rental house from a new point of view. First impressions are a big deal and that means curb appeal and what it looks like when you open the front door. Our awesome agent told us that most people make a decision to buy a house within a few seconds of walking in the front door.
5. So, for example, does any of the landscaping look gangly, unkempt, or messy? You need to clean that up and keep it picked up while the house is listed. Same thing for the backyard.
6. Don't EVER have ANY personal photos or religious objects on display when listing a house.
7. Any weird odors in the house will drive people away. So if it smells like dog, cat, or smells "old" or musty, then it could be an amazing house, but people won't even consider it.
8. If any of the rooms are painted non-neutral colors, that will be a detractor, too. Sure, painting a room isn't hard and pretty much anybody can do it. But that yellow bedroom might have been great for a kid but not if the potential buyer is thinking of using it as an office or a neutral guest bedroom.
9. Remove any decorative items that make the house look or feel like an old lady lives there.
10. Clutter, of course, is a huge negative.
11. Our awesome agent also told us that if a house is staged and priced well, you will get an offer and be under contract within 2 weeks of it being listed...and if you're not, then there's something wrong with the house (or the price).

For example:
Friend of mine tried for a year and a half to sell her house. Honestly, the house was ugly. Had zero curb appeal. She made several mistakes with her first agent...
- hired her friend to be her real estate agent.
- pics of the front of the house made it look like front door was hidden. Big no no.
- They should have spruced up the back yard. It looked neglected.
- Every bathroom was a different wild color.
- Every toilet had one of those toilet lid covers that's made out of rug material. And a rug around the toilet, too. Gross.
- master BR had exercise equipment in it. Bedrooms need to have 1 purpose: sleeping or exercise. Not both.
- they had personal family photos up all over the house in the listing pics.
- house had a grandma cottage (in which her grandma did live at one point). All of the grandma's dated 1980s furniture was in it...and also the grandma's creepy doll collection. On display in a glass case and in other spots in the grandma cottage.
- couldn't tell if it had a garage or not
- house was, by far, the most expensive in the neighborhood. They listed it for >$100,000 than the other comps in the development. Huge mistake.
- some bedrooms had way too much furniture in them.
- 1 bedroom had white wicker furniture. Bleh

For over a year, they stuck with that agent. Then they switched. New agent must have given them some tough love because the new listing photos were MUCH better. EVERY room had been repainted. GONE were all of the weird rugs on and around every toilet. Gone were the weird dolls and 80s furniture. Gone were the turquoise walls in one bathroom and bright green in 1 bedroom. They got an offer within 2 weeks and closed on time.

 

[DisLiss]

It was move in ready, if you were ready to move into 1960. Other than the flooring in the family room, kitchen, laundry room and two bathrooms, it was "as built" down to the original appliances in the kitchen, and pink tile in the bathroom.

There are a lot of people who are crazy about time capsule type houses like that. I

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I have only been through the experience once. Thankfully it sold very quickly. The first person who looked at it bought it. The caveat is we priced it to sell b/c we were "motivated sellers".

 

[tvguy]

There are a lot of people who are crazy about time capsule type houses like that. I

I had several people leave notes wanting to know if I wanted to sell the light fixtures.

 

[DawnM]

I wouldn't worry about it not selling yet. We had 37 people look at our house before we got an offer. We had a great piece of property but it was very unique for the area, and hard to price and harder to sell. We sold in 60 days for close to asking.

However, we got tons of feedback. Most of the feedback was ridiculous and we couldn't change or wouldn't change.

1. Hate the pool, sellers should think of getting rid of it (buyers loved the pool and was a reason they bought!)
2. Property is on a slope, buyers want flat land (um, it is listed as being on a hill and the pictures show a huge hill, why waste everyone's time?)
3. House has a quirky/odd/funky layout (yup, we know that, but the buyers loved it and it was perfect for them!)
4. House has wood siding, buyers want brick (um, you can SEE it isn't brick! Idiots)
5. Buyers don't want a well (listed as being on a well, again, why are you bothering?)

There was more, but you get the idea. Two mentioned price but I got the feeling they wanted us to offer them something, which we didn't.

 

[GoingSince1990]

Our neighbor tried unsuccessfully to sell his house a couple of years ago. I was amazed that he didn’t bother to get the awful looking broken path lights by the entrance to his driveway replaced (or at least removed) before trying to sell. This would be the first sign of neglect noticed by any potential buyer and would make them start wondering how many other things had been neglected over the years by the seller. So that’s my tip; make it look as if you care and are houseproud.

 

[dclpluto]

General thoughts on your dilemma:

1. If your agent is motivated to keep the house as a rental, then he's not really on your side with the goal being to SELL it.
2. Some of the things that made it attractive as a rental might actually be detracting it to home buyers who intend to move in and live in the house (i.e., not renters).
3. Any decent real estate agent will have professional photos taken of a house he/she is listing for sale. So if your agent is posting photos with his/her smart phone, then get a new agent.
4. Go and look at your rental house from a new point of view. First impressions are a big deal and that means curb appeal and what it looks like when you open the front door. Our awesome agent told us that most people make a decision to buy a house within a few seconds of walking in the front door.
5. So, for example, does any of the landscaping look gangly, unkempt, or messy? You need to clean that up and keep it picked up while the house is listed. Same thing for the backyard.
6. Don't EVER have ANY personal photos or religious objects on display when listing a house.
7. Any weird odors in the house will drive people away. So if it smells like dog, cat, or smells "old" or musty, then it could be an amazing house, but people won't even consider it.
8. If any of the rooms are painted non-neutral colors, that will be a detractor, too. Sure, painting a room isn't hard and pretty much anybody can do it. But that yellow bedroom might have been great for a kid but not if the potential buyer is thinking of using it as an office or a neutral guest bedroom.
9. Remove any decorative items that make the house look or feel like an old lady lives there.
10. Clutter, of course, is a huge negative.
11. Our awesome agent also told us that if a house is staged and priced well, you will get an offer and be under contract within 2 weeks of it being listed...and if you're not, then there's something wrong with the house (or the price).

For example:
Friend of mine tried for a year and a half to sell her house. Honestly, the house was ugly. Had zero curb appeal. She made several mistakes with her first agent...
- hired her friend to be her real estate agent.
- pics of the front of the house made it look like front door was hidden. Big no no.
- They should have spruced up the back yard. It looked neglected.
- Every bathroom was a different wild color.
- Every toilet had one of those toilet lid covers that's made out of rug material. And a rug around the toilet, too. Gross.
- master BR had exercise equipment in it. Bedrooms need to have 1 purpose: sleeping or exercise. Not both.
- they had personal family photos up all over the house in the listing pics.
- house had a grandma cottage (in which her grandma did live at one point). All of the grandma's dated 1980s furniture was in it...and also the grandma's creepy doll collection. On display in a glass case and in other spots in the grandma cottage.
- couldn't tell if it had a garage or not
- house was, by far, the most expensive in the neighborhood. They listed it for >$100,000 than the other comps in the development. Huge mistake.
- some bedrooms had way too much furniture in them.
- 1 bedroom had white wicker furniture. Bleh

For over a year, they stuck with that agent. Then they switched. New agent must have given them some tough love because the new listing photos were MUCH better. EVERY room had been repainted. GONE were all of the weird rugs on and around every toilet. Gone were the weird dolls and 80s furniture. Gone were the turquoise walls in one bathroom and bright green in 1 bedroom. They got an offer within 2 weeks and closed on time.

very good points. Number 7 thou Someone who lives in the home won’t know if there is any strange odors they will become nose blind to it. Ask some family members or friends if there is any odors.

 

[sasywtch]

An agent working for you should know why your house is not selling. Have other agents brought buyers and has your agent asked their agent questions? Agents are brutually honest with each other and would tell each other what's wrong as others have said, could be....priced wrong, and neighborhood, landscaping, smell, too much cosmetic type work needed (cabinets, walls need painting). When I sold real estate you bet I'd be asking as the commission is $$$$ for me one time an agent in our office had a listing very over priced. He knew it but his sellers wouldn't listen to him. We had weekly tours of the company listings for all agents so he put out papers for each agent to list what they thought the price should be. He then gave all the papers to his sellers so they could see that they overpriced their house. I'm tending to think your agent isn't working hard to sell your house but lesson learnred, don't use your property manager as your listing agent

 

[DisneyHardin]

I've bought several homes over the years and don't think I have ever shared any feedback with my realtor to then take back to the sellers. Most of the time the houses just weren't what I was looking for, no real feedback other than that.

 

[dish rag]

I am just so over the home selling process after a month. 12 showings, and only 3 people have left any feedback. And that feedback was not interested. I wish they would give my agent more (is it something fixable like decor, or not fixable like location?) but I’m grateful that 3 people at least said no.
This whole thing is an emotional thorn in my side, like student loans are for other people. My agent wants it to stay a rental, I can tell, and I’m stuck with him just in case I do have to rent it out again. (He’s a phenomenal property manager.)

I’m trying hard to be patient and trust God’s timing. I just wish I knew if there was something I could do to improve my chances for a sale.

Could just be your area. Not long ago we sold a home in Fla that sold within a few hours at more than we were asking, there was never a sign put up. We are considering putting a home up now in another area and know it will sell within a day at more than we list it at, that's just how it works here, bidding wars.

We have been looking and are looking more today. Houses sell so fast and at more than list, we don't have to move or sell so are just waiting for the right thing to come along. Just make sure the house is freshened up some. If I see evidence of a dog or smoker we just leave. We do see odd color carpets and out dated things, but just figure we can tear it out and put in what we want. But still it helps if things are updated.

 

[tvguy]

I was thinking about this thread. Not sure I care for any feedback from potential sellers. I want offers, and I'm not doing anything not required by law that a potential buyer might like.
With my parents house, the issue we had was the bizarre offers we got. One offered above asking prices, but refused to show any proof they had the money. One was from a "partnership" with each half providing half the money, but the second partner was "to be named later".
The offer I took was $25,000 under asking, buying paying all closing costs, no inspections.