Single Men, Taxi's, and "For Sale" Homes

"Serious" vs. "Non-Serious" Home Sellers

Men are like taxis. The theory is that when a man is ready for, or open to, the possibility of a relationship he turns his taxi light on. If you happen to be the girl that hails the cab (him) while the light is on, you've got a possibility of a decently long ride. But if you grab a cab with the light off, it doesn't really matter what you do, it's just not going to go anywhere.

--Candace Bushnell, "Sex and the City"

Substitute "serious home sellers" for "men" in the quote above, and you have a pretty good shorthand for what's going on in the housing market at any given moment. (And no, this isn't meant to be sexist; arguably the same phenomenon applies to single women.)

Just consider all the contrasts between "Serious" and "Non-Serious" home sellers ("motivated" and "unmotivated," if you prefer):

Serious: Price their home consistently with the Comp's ("Comparable Sold Properties").

Non-Serious: List their home at a price that nets them "what they need" -- or what their neighbor got 3 years ago.

Serious: If feedback and days on market indicate the price is unrealistic, reduces the price 3%-5% at regular intervals.
Non-Serious: Won't budge from the original list price. Or, after an eon of market time, will cancel-and-relist . . . at the same price.

Serious: Ferociously cleans and de-clutters before hitting the market. Donates accumulated stuff to charity to make their home feel as big as possible. Spends a nominal amount on cosmetic updating (painting, floor refinishing, landscaping, etc.) as needed. Brings in a stager -- and takes their advice!

Non-Serious: Thinks their home is perfect as is -- so why do anything?

Serious: Accommodates showing requests whenever possible. Cleans, empties the Kitchen sink, turns on all the lights, etc. ahead of first showings -- and especially second showings!

Non-Serious: Does none of the above. Thinks showings are a good time to water the lawn . . . in their underwear!

Serious: Has the municipal point-of-sale inspection done prior to going on the market, and fixes any items listed.

Non-Serious: Leaves the point-of-sale inspection for if/when there's a Buyer (illegal in some cities).

Serious: Hires a good, full-service Realtor who tells them all of the foregoing, markets early (pre-list) and energetically, negotiates well, knows the neighborhood, etc.

Non-Serious: Hires the cheapest Realtor they can find -- or none.

And on and on.

While serious home sellers don't literally turn on the equivalent of a taxi light -- based on all the things they do (or not) -- they're just as easy for Realtors and prospective Buyers to identify.