Listings and Pots of Water

Quickening Pace Signals Approaching Deal

My clients know that my favorite metaphor for how a listing is doing is a pot of water.

Usually, there is a palpable progression from room temperature, to warm, to hot . . . to a deal!

Typically, that corresponds to the pace of inquiries and first showings picking up; some of the first showings progressing to second showings; then a prospect who's done a second (or third) showing making an offer.

Exceptions

Are there exceptions to the foregoing?

Sure.

Sometimes, the pot seems warms (or hot) for what seems like an eternity, but prospects just don't seem to want to go that last step.

At the other extreme, there are listings that are the real estate equivalent of liquid nitrogen (if you don't remember high school physics, liquid nitrogen goes directly from a solid to a vapor without first going through liquid form).

Translation: one day, nothing's happening; the next, you've got a deal.

That doesn't happen very often -- but it's sure nice when it does!