In a recent listing presentation, I explained to the sellers that selling their home was like a crew team rowing down a river.  Picture the scenario – a boat going down the Potomac River in front of Georgetown and you have the team in the boat – in order to get from point A to point B, everything needs to happen in a logical order.  The boat needs to be in tip top shape, the crew needs to be facing in the same direction, the strokes need to be precise and in sync and the captain needs to be able to give the proper commands at the right times in order for the team to achieve success whether they are participating in a race or if it is practice. 

So what happens if the boat has a leak in it?  What happens if the riggers are rusted and don’t allow the proper swing motion for the oars?  What if the team members don’t stroke in unison and are out of sync?  What if the captain improperly adjusts the rudder or gives the wrong command?  What if the captain is inconsistent in his/her stroke calls?  Any number of things could result, all of which are not productive to the team and in the end, the outcome is less than desirable.

How does this correlate to selling a house?  If any one piece of the home selling scenario is out of place the sale will be difficult to achieve.  If the house is not in the right condition and is in poor shape it will take longer to sell and the owner will “net” less in the end.  If the house is not staged properly and doesn’t show well the home will attract lower offers and in some cases, none at all.  If the house isn’t priced correctly, it may get lots of activity (showings) but no contracts and in the end, it will not sell.  In addition, if the Realtor/captain does not convey the proper message about the condition of the house, the importance of staging, the correct pricing of the property and then implement the proper marketing strategy, or if they don’t recognize changes in the market and inform the sellers to make the appropriate adjustments, the house will also have a more difficult time selling.

Selling a house is a “team” effort and in order to achieve the seller’s goal of selling the property, it is critical that all the parties work together, have open lines of communication and react to the market conditions quickly so the sale occurs.  The quote about team – Together Everyone Achieves More – is more relevant in today’s market than ever before.  If you are a seller, ask the right questions of your agent.  If you are an agent, be the professional and give the right advice – or – move on to a better client.  Get it?  Got it?  Good!