When competition for limited inventory is high, buyers can feel like they don’t have room to ask for concessions or repairs. When this happens, buyers may feel they’re forced into bidding on a house which will only require upgrades as soon as they move in.
In Kristina Brunnler’s article, “How to Ask the Listing Agent for Repairs Without Sounding Like a Jerk” she provides some excellent advice on how agents “fighting for their client’s best interest” can approach this sensitive topic.
Tactics include:
1. Not mentioning the buyer’s small requests. (“Small” is defined here by $100 or less.)
2. Focusing on necessary repairs, such as the high-dollar fixes or dangerous situations.
3. Maintaining flexibility in how the buyer is compensated. This might mean not making the repair, but reducing the price to cover the expense.
4. Keeping buyer renovation plans private. If sellers know the buyer is going to renovate, they may take a “why should I bother?” attitude.
5. Keep your buyer-bias to a minimum. Use logic to bolster your arguments on behalf of the buyer.
Each of these tactics includes more advice and specific examples, so be sure to review this article for a more complete guide!
http://blog.zurple.com/how-to-ask-the-listing-agent-for-repairs-without-sounding-like-a-jerk
