When there’s a hot property and lots of offers, how do you stand out to get your offer accepted? Sometimes it’s not all about price.
THE PROBLEM
Early in John Carle’s career he wrote an offer for a client on a house that was priced at $94,000. Remember the good old days when you could get a house for that price?
Back then we could assume a mortgage without qualifying, and this property had an $85,000 mortgage on it. So not only was the house a good value, but the mortgage made is super appealing. Give them $10k and take the mortgage and house.
Not surprising there was more than 10 offers on the home. Back then we presented offers in person, so there were realtors lined up the street waiting for their turn to present the offer. How would we stand out?
THE SOLUTION
John brought his client with him to the offer presentation and had him sitting in the car. Back then contracts were all done via fax or direct paper; our contracts were on carbon paper! (If you’re under 30 you may need to Google what that is.)
By having the buyer in the car, John was able to tell the seller and their agent that we’d get an immediate answer to any changes or questions the sellers have and he’d be able to sign it within seconds.
THE RESULTS
We were successful! They loved that the buyer would take the time to come to the offer presentation, and really wanted to meet my buyer. So I called him into the house so they could meet him and shake his hand. It made him real in their minds.
He kept the house for about 5 years and we resold it for a nice profit. He did well on that property.
We weren’t the highest offer; but we were the most attractive to the buyers. Sometimes it’s not all about money.
