“False eloquence is exaggeration; true eloquence is emphasis” – William R. Alger
There’s a fine line between successfully marketing a property for sale using a clever MLS listing, and flat out exaggeration. Unfortunately, many Realtors cross that line everyday. The pending result is almost surely to be this…a property with a whole whack of business cards on the counter, but no offers to show for it.
Here’s why.
The MLS listing is usually the first thing potential Buyers will see once your home hits the market, and therefore it’s important to make a great first impression. Nobody can deny that. But be careful…as you’re planning on how best to generate a great first impression, be mindful that you’re also setting expectations.
There are aspects of the listing that are factual in nature, as well as some that are open to interpretation. And it’s the latter where you and your Realtor need to be careful.
A classic example is the bedroom vs. den argument. There is no universal definition of what constitutes a bedroom over a den, but most in the industry will tell you that a bedroom requires a door, a window, and a closet. However, there are some that that believe that built-in cupboards suffice, as well as others who decide simply on the ‘size’ factor.
Personally, if you choose to stray from the Industry norms….that’s fine by me. I’m not a stickler for norms anyways. But know this, if you greatly exaggerate or lie about important aspects of a property, it will be a sour experience for prospective Buyers.
The other day I was showing a client a condo unit on the Lakeshore. It was listed as a 2-bedroom, 1 bathroom with southeast views of Lake Ontario. My client, like many others, wanted a great view of our Lake, and we both thought the price was great for a 2 bedroom unit.
Upon arrival, the first thing we did was check out the views. It was northeastern exposure. Therefore, it did catch a piece of the water. A very small, unfulfilling piece. I guess seeing a piece of the water equates to a Southern view…brutal.
But it got worse.
After we got over the view aspect, we then proceeded and quickly realized we hadn’t seen a 2nd bedroom. We checked the all the doors again to see if we had missed any secret passages. Sadly, we did not.
Then we noticed a small den, and believe me…it was even a stretch calling it that. No door, no window, and no real room for a built-in closet. This “den”, was about 7 feet by 4 feet. If you put a desk against the wall, your backside would surely be poking out the imaginary door. But hey, if it can fit a baby’s crib, it’s got to be a bedroom, right?
*SIGH*. This was quickly followed with, “Are you *expletive deleted* kidding me?”.
Here’s the deal. Every single person that walks in that unit expecting 2 bedrooms with a southeastern view is going to be thoroughly disappointed, even if the price is quite reasonable. I saw one of the biggest piles of business cards I’ve seen to date at that unit. And it must be said, the unit was otherwise quite nice.
Now let’s say you and your Realtor were completely forthcoming and listed it as a 1 bedroom with Northern exposure. Yes, it must be admitted that there will likely be much less traffic coming through your unit. But anyone that does will most likely be pleasantly surprised, as they will get to still see a piece of the Lake. They will also see the bonus of having extra space in the form of a small den.
This situation is much more likely to find the right buyer for your unit, as good feelings can transfer into offers. Not only that, it’s just the right thing to do.
Remember, 99.9% of people won’t buy a home without viewing it in person. So why try to pull a fast one on potential Buyers? It’s completely counter-productive. Selling your home isn’t an infomercial.
As a Seller, make sure you check the information on the listing before your Realtor uploads it to MLS. Not only to make sure the factual information is correct, but to make sure your Realtor isn’t sugar-coating things too much.
It could mean the difference between selling your home, or letting it sit on the market going stale.