In a slower market, sometimes sellers and/or their agents advertise incentives to sweeten the deal and generate buzz about a property. However, buyers tell us it’s still ultimately the price that influences their decision most.
Incentives to get home buyers’ attention have gotten lavish. Recent examples include a new BMW, season tickets to football games, a boat for waterfront properties, $3,000 gift cards at interior design studios, and even the home owners’ pet.
We are in a price war right now and homes need to be priced well and show better than the competition in order to sell. Buyers are conditioned from media and television that it’s a buyers market and homes should all show like a model. Whether this is right or wrong….it is the mindset of buyers today.
In Tampa FL, a home priced less than $200,000 tried to lure home buyers by offering up season tickets to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ football games. The agent said ” The buyers were thrilled with the tickets, but that certainly wasn’t the reason they bought the house, the most important thing is always the price.”
An offer to pay condo fees or throw in a BMW will definitely create some buzz and at least get a buyer to take a second look at a property but she says sellers must realize that no amount of marketing will make a dent if the price is not right. If you are not competitive on the price, you cannot sell your house.
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