Over the years, the LJ Realties team has put together a few “unwritten rules” about buying a house. Today, we’ll be going over what not to say during the process!
- “This is my dream house!”
Even if it’s love at first sight, you don’t want the seller to know that. Tell your broker this in private, so that they’re aware of how you feel about the property, but letting the seller know can give them leverage over you. They might try to take advantage of your emotions to negotiate a higher sale price in their favour.
- “That couch is awful!”
You don’t want to insult the seller, and you don’t want the listing agent to have negative feedback about you. Don’t forget that everybody really loves their home and they decorated it to their tastes. That might not align at all with how you feel and what you like, but you want to make sure you walk out leaving a good impression.
- “I can afford to spend $1,000,000 on this house.”
You might be at a listing that’s only worth $800,000, and a comment like this might give the impression that you have an extra $200,000 worth of play. When it’s time to negotiate a price, this certainly won’t help you land a great deal.
- “XYZ doesn’t work for me.”
While you’re doing a visit, make sure to not discuss any negative points or downsides about the property. Keep those comments to yourself. Afterwards, when you’re in the car, that’s when you can really break things down. You can discuss the number of bedrooms or certain aspects that don’t work for you, but don’t cause anybody to feel ashamed of their home.
- “Why are you selling?”
You never know somebody’s situation. Never put somebody on the spot with a question that might dig up bad feelings: their backs are going to be against the wall, and now they’re going to feel like they’re playing defense. We’re trying to build rapport during the visit. This is something you may be able to ask a listing agent, but asking the seller directly can lead to a defensive response.
- “What’s it really like to live here?”
We can assume that people are always going to say the best things possible about their home. A better question is, “What’s your favourite part about this neighbourhood?” That way, people can shed light on the best aspects of how they actually feel about the living situation.
- “You’re not going to get the listing price.”
When you come in with that attitude, you’re causing friction. During the visit, we’re there to observe, collect information about the property, and understand more about the overall situation. After that, you can talk pricing strategy with your broker and let them have the appropriate conversations with the listing broker.
- “I’m going to give you a lowball offer. Are you going to accept it?”
Again, you’re insulting the person. They’ve listed at a price for a reason. It might be the wrong reason, but it’s how they’ve decided to anchor themselves. Telling them that you’re about to try
and chop their price down is never going to lead to a successful sale. You might be planning to make a lowball offer, but putting them on the spot won’t do you any good.
Trust your broker!
You’ve hired somebody to represent you – let them step up on your behalf and have the appropriate conversations with the appropriate tonality. The worst thing that can happen is you start to get emotional because you feel that you’re right. Then they get emotional too, and all of a sudden, we have an argument for no reason during a visit.
Want to connect with a broker who will always be in your corner? Reach out to us today!