For at least three years running the market has favored home sellers in the Madison, Wisconsin area market. With too few homes for sale and a deep pool of able buyers, it’s common to see 5-20 people bidding on homes just listed. The odds of getting your Offer accepted, even at 1 in 5, appear precarious. At Essential Real Estate, we believe the odds are not as daunting as they appear when you eliminate the offers from people who have intentions that don’t match those of the seller. I contend the unintentional buyers account for at least 3 out of 5. If I’m right, your odds of outbidding (without overpaying) competitors are pretty darn good.
Set My Equity Free
Different motivators cause a person to put their home on the market, but the reason the house is for sale is always this: The homeowner wants their home equity to do use for some other purpose than own this property. Some people decide to sell and put their homes on the market before committing to doing the next thing, but when they commit to whatever comes next, their intent becomes clear; set their equity free.
The Accepted Offer Goes To The Intentional
Our buyer clients who are sincere about their intentions are more likely to accept ideas on how to structure their Offers to match what we know of the seller’s intent. The intentional buyer can show by the terms of their Offer that they are committed to getting to closing on time with no risk to the seller. Reservations, (conditions that allow for a buyer to change direction before closing) threaten the seller’s security of achieving their reason for selling.
Unintended Consequences
We can’t blame home buyers for submitting wishy-washy Offers. The typical person drafting an Offer sees the purchase agreement as a standard-fill-in-the-blank form. Common contingencies make their way into Offers because the buyer was not aware of their opportunity to make an informed decision on the merits of everything stated in their Offer. The unintended consequence is a rejected Offer or a counteroffer for more money in exchange for the risk the buyer’s Offer expects the seller to carry.
You Want Your Equity. I want you to have it.
Showing the seller that you want to own their house is not the same as showing the seller that you wish to satisfy their want. Put yourself in a better position with this perspective: If I’m selling, I want my equity. I also desire certainty. Every seller might say this: The buyer I am willing to enter into a contract with is the person who wants me to have their money to become my capital and wants me to get it without stress.
Letters, texts, emails do not tell the seller that you want them to have your money as their equity. They say a lot about you wanting something they have. They say something about what you want the seller to do for you. In a seller favorable market, the seller might be interested in your wants, hopes, dreams, but they’re more interested in your money and what you can do for them to make the process a sure thing for them. Your Offer can be structured to match the intentions of the seller. Those are the Offers most likely to be accepted. Know your intentions.
