There are many homeowners asking themselves, “Why is my house not selling?” The list of potential reasons is very long. We’ve already summarized the top three reasons in a video marketing campaign called Top 3 Reasons Your Neighbour’s House Hasn’t Sold, so in this blog, we’re going to cover some of the smaller, not-so-obvious reasons.
The first, while it may be an unpopular reason, is important to seriously evaluate, and that is whether or not you have the right representation, a.k.a. your REALTOR®.
Is Your REALTOR® Part of the Problem?
There are tens of thousands of real estate agents in the GTA, and far fewer active listings at any given time. That creates a lot of competition for business, and like most industries, the 80/20 rule tends to apply: a smaller group of agents are responsible for a large share of the transactions.
Getting licensed is one thing. Knowing how to properly price, prepare, market, negotiate, and sell a home in a changing market is another. Like any profession, there is a wide range of experience, process, and skill among real estate agents.
We’ve lost listings to agents who promised homeowners the world: high prices, short listing contracts, low commission, “We can have the house on the market tomorrow,” the list goes on.
It’s important that you follow a process, properly prepare your house, ensure it looks amazing online and in person, and have a proactive real estate agent who’s seeking a buyer, not simply waiting for one. In addition to having a process and a proven track record, it’s also important to make sure you haven’t hired what I like to call a Bobble-Head agent: someone who simply nods along and tells you what you want to hear. You need a professional who provides guidance, explains the strategy, and respectfully challenges you when your expectations and the realities of the market don’t line up. And, selfish plug, if you haven’t hired an agent and want to avoid making the mistake of hiring the wrong one, we have a team of Milton real estate agents who are sure to leave you impressed.
Alright, on to the smaller, less obvious reasons. It’s important to understand that the world is made up of all different kinds of people, so I’ve created an avatar for a few to help you understand what happens when buyers are looking at your home:
Buyer Avatars Sellers Should Keep in Mind
1. Calendar-Clutching Connor
Connor has exactly 37 minutes between hockey practice, a work call, picking up a prescription, and remembering he has not eaten lunch. He is not browsing homes with a latte and a dream board. He is speed-running the biggest purchase of his life.
So when he requests a showing and the answer is, “That time doesn’t work,” there may not be a magical second chance. He may not circle back. He may not lovingly rearrange his entire life to accommodate your preferred window.
He may simply move on to the next house that opens the door.
The mistake sellers make is assuming a declined showing becomes a rescheduled showing. Sometimes it does. Sometimes you just accidentally declined the buyer.
2. Detective Disinfectant Debbie
Debbie does not “walk through” a house. Debbie investigates it.
She notices the dust on the baseboards. She peeks into the toilet. She clocks the mystery crumbs in the cutlery drawer, the toothpaste splatter on the mirror, and the suspicious sticky spot near the garbage can.
To Debbie, cleanliness is not just cleanliness. It is evidence.
If the house feels dirty, she starts building a whole courtroom argument in her head: If they didn’t clean the bathroom before a showing, what else didn’t they maintain? Furnace? Roof? Caulking? The emotional well-being of this poor grout?
And just like that, a few dust bunnies have become a full-blown maintenance concern.
3. Paint-Chip Patty
Patty cannot see past the red dining room.
You can tell her, “Paint is easy to change,” and she will nod politely while staring at that wall like it personally insulted her family. In her mind, this is not a beautiful home with great bones. This is The House With The Red Room.
Some buyers can imagine furniture, fresh paint, new lighting, and their own life unfolding in the space. Patty cannot. Patty sees the lime green bedroom, the navy powder room, or the SpongeBob-yellow kitchen and mentally subtracts $50,000 from the offer price because “it just feels like a lot.”
This is why neutralizing a home matters. You are not just selling what the house is. You are helping buyers imagine what it could be — and some buyers need a lot of help.
4. Scent-Sensitive Samantha
Samantha is optimistic when she pulls into the driveway.
Then she opens the front door and is immediately punched in the sinuses by a wall of vanilla-cinnamon-lavender-coconut-mystery plug-in.
Within 14 seconds, she has a headache. Within 30 seconds, she is wondering what smell the fragrance is trying to cover. Within one minute, she is outside pretending to “take a call” while actually escaping.
Strong scents are tricky because sellers often use them with good intentions. They want the home to smell fresh, warm, clean, or inviting. But for buyers with allergies, asthma, migraines, scent sensitivities, or just a suspicious nature, fragrance can backfire fast.
A clean home should smell clean. Ideally, it should barely smell like anything at all.
To Sum it Up
While not all buyers will be this extreme, I created these fun buyer avatars because I work with each, to varying degrees, regularly. The point is to ensure you’ve addressed everything you can, within reason, to appeal to as many people as possible and eliminate the opportunity for those who are interested to have ammunition to negotiate with or object to.
Happy house hunting and selling, people! If you are looking for a Milton REALTOR® or a real estate agent in Halton and surrounding areas, connect with our team today for a complimentary conversation and home valuation.
