Sell House by Owner

Joe and Mary get a Second House Showing

Sell house by owner continues with our couple Joe and Mary. Our stars had just finished their evening meal when the phone rang. The jarring sound in the silence of the dining area, took them both by surprise.

RING!!!!!

M: Do you want to answer that Sugar, or should I?

J: Go ahead. I need a moment for my heart to stop pounding.

M: (walking towards the phone) OK.

M: Hello?

Caller: Hello. Is this the lady that had the open house by owner today at 123 Anywhere Street today?

M: Yes it is.

Caller: My wife and I really liked your place and we would like to come over and have a second look, if that's OK.

M: (trying to hide her excitement) Sure, when would you like to have a look?

Caller: We were thinking around 6:00 tomorrow evening.

M: That should be fine. We'll look forward to seeing you then.

Caller: Great. Bye.

M: Bye.

Sell house by owner Tip #1 Although she did a decent job on the call, here are a couple hints to handle it a bit better. Try to get a name and telephone number from the caller.

Why? Two reasons. Security and authentication. People that have alternative motives won't give a real name and number and you are establishing that the person on the other end is actually planning on showing up at your house.

For more information on handling phone calls, go to : The Phone is Ringing!

This happens whether you sell house by owner, or through a Realtor ®. The only difference is you aren't aware this happens if you are listed with a Realtor ®.

How do I Get the Name and Number?

Let's go back to that sell house by owner phone call and this time lets get the name and phone number.

Caller: We were thinking around 6:00 tomorrow evening.

M: That should be fine. By the way, my name is Mary, and you are.........(pause)

Caller: Bert.

M: And just in case, what is a number I can reach you at Bert?.............(pause)

B: 555-4321

M: Will your wife be with you as well?

B: Yes, Helen will be with me.

M: Great. My husband Joe will be here as well. We look forward to meeting you both.

If you haven't used these techniques before, whether it's to sell house by owner, or some other reason, you might be surprised how well this approach works. If the caller doesn't want to give a name and number, get ready for a no show.

How do I Know the Phone Number is Authentic?

Good question. Here is how you make sure the number you were given is real. You wait for about 5 minutes and then call the number back.

Ring. Ring.

B: Hello?

M: Hi, is this Bert?

B: Yes it is.

M: Hi. Sorry to bother you, but after I hung up the phone, my husband reminded me that he won't be able to make it home until about 6:20 tomorrow evening. Would it be OK if we made your appointment to view the house at 6:30 instead?

B: That shouldn't be a problem. 6:30 it is then.

M: Thanks so much. I appreciate that. We'll see you tomorrow.

Now, some of you might think that is a bit underhanded. Yes, perhaps it's not the absolute truth, but you do have the right to know when you sell by owner, if the person that is going to show up at your door is genuine or not. By using the above script, you are doing absolutely zero harm to anyone including Bert.

The Big Second Showing

Mary was on pins and needles most of the day. She tried not to think about the showing that night.

Would they get an offer? Would they get a good offer? They had an early dinner and cleaned up the kitchen.

Sell House by Owner Hint: Speaking of offers, it is always a good idea to have contract forms on hand. This is especially important, for that second showing.

The buyers might be ready to write an offer and neither they, or you, have forms on hand. Yikes!

To obtain your own up-to-date, state and country specific, lawyer written contract forms, just go to, Forms.

They made sure all the lights were on in the house, curtains and drapes open and she placed some cinnamon with water on the stove burner to simmer slowly. They left the garage door open and everything was neatly put away.

Sell house by owner Tip #2 It doesn't matter whether it's the first showing, the second, or the fourth, when you sell by owner, or with a real estate agent, always prepare your house and property to show it's absolute best.

At precisely 6:30, the doorbell rang. Our for sale by owner couple both took a deep breath, gave each other a look that said; "This is it!" and both headed for the front door.

After introductions, everyone proceeded inside.

Joe then took control and asked Bert and Helen to follow him while he gave them the grand tour.

J: This is the kitchen. As you can see, it has solid oak cabinets, double stainless steel sinks, a large walk-in pantry and we had those pot lights installed about a year ago.

H: Are the fridge and stove included?

Joe glances over at Mary. She gives a "Don't you dare give away my fridge and stove" look.

J: No, we will be taking those with us.

Perhaps a Better Way to Handle the Showing

Guess what? Bert and Helen have already been through the house once. They noticed the oak cabinets, pantry, sinks and lighting.

May I suggest as a sell house by owner person, you handle things a bit different.

Sell house by owner Tip #3 When you meet the folks coming back for a second viewing, let them take control of the viewing.

Ask them if they would like to start inside or outside and then honor that desire. Let them lead you on the viewing and perhaps tell them that if they have any questions, you'll be happy to answer those questions. Then watch and observe.

One more time. All together now. People Don't Sell Houses - Houses Sell Houses

Want to learn more about how to sell by owner and watching for buying signs? Go to Showing Your House You might also want to look at Some Closing Sales Techniques

If you haven't already, a quick look at Reading Body Language might be helpful as well.

Sell house by owner Tip #4 When the buyer ask if the fridge and stove were included, they were told "No". Try to avoid saying "No" as much as possible.

When you sell by owner, here may be a better way to handle those types of questions.

H: Are the fridge and stove included?

M: Are the fridge and stove important to you?

H: We had to let ours go when we sold our house, so we would really like to have them included.

M: I'm pretty attached to those appliances, but when you put your offer in, we can certainly discuss them.

Do you see what happened here? Wow! Loads of information. When our sellers said "No", there is nothing left to "barter" with and they might even lose the sale over a fridge and stove.

What happens if the buyers have a house running a close second that included appliances?

When the buyers were asked if the fridge and stove were important to her, here's what happened.

• The question was deflected with another question. Those that ask questions, control the conversation.
• They now know, that the buyers have sold their house already.
• They might just be able to use that fridge and stove later as a deal maker to sell by owner.
• Full points if you noticed an assumption close was used by saying "your" offer instead of "an" offer. No harm in testing the waters a bit at this time to check the reaction.

Notice that the buyers were never promised they could have the fridge and stove. Don't just give it away. Use it for a bargaining chip if you must, when the offer gets down to the nitty gritty.

If you want more information on how to use this skill go to Give and Take Negotiations

The tour continued inside and then everyone proceeded outside to look at the rest of the property including the garage and storage shed. They then ended their tour in the driveway by the side door making small talk.

Finally, Bert spoke up;

B: (holding right hand out to shake) Well, I guess we should let you get on with your evening. We'll sit down and make a decision within the next couple days.

J: That's great. If you have any questions, give us a call OK?

B: Most certainly. It's been a pleasure meeting you both.

M: Well, I sure hope this nice weather keeps up for a bit longer.

H: Hopefully we'll get at least another 2 weeks of sun and nice temperatures. Nice meeting you both.

Sell house by owner Tip #5 Always try to end your showing in the kitchen. If you have a small galley kitchen, at the breakfast nook or dining room will do. The last place you want to end the tour is in the driveway. It almost screams, It's time to go now!

When it comes to sell house by owner and you end up out in the kitchen, everyone can sit down, relax and get some business done. Why you should end up in the kitchen is explained by going to Kitchen Magic

As the buyers wave good-bye and head up the street, our for sale by owner couple look rather confused and befuddled about what just happened. No offer, how disappointing. What went wrong?

Guess what? Nothing unusual really.

Just like when you sell house by owner, when most people are buying a house, they feel all the pressure and doubts that you feel. Quite often I used to hear from a sale by owner. "We haven't even received one offer yet!"

Well, I'm here to tell you that when you sell house by owner, that until the right buyer comes along, don't expect a bunch of offers to come in. When you bought the house you are living in now, did you offer on several before this one?

Probably not. Nope, you probably kept looking until you found the house that most appealed to you and was in the price range you were looking for.

So, a word of sell house by owner advice. Just keep on keeping on, until the right buyer arrives. Then work that offer until it is either a deal, or impossible to put together.

Our by owner couple didn't know it yet, but Bert and Helen are about to surprise them. An offer is about to happen. But first, they will call to ask for one more viewing.

To be continued.........

For More Information about the Joe and Mary Story

#1 The Joe and Mary Story Main Page

#2 Joe and Mary Select a Sign

#3 Joe and Mary Prepare Their House to Sell

#4 Our by Owner Couple Place a Newspaper Ad

#5 Joe and Mary Go Online

#6 Our Hero's Answer Ad Calls

#7 Joe and Mary Find a Hot Buyer!

#8 Joe and Mary Decide to get an Appraisal

#9 Joe and Mary Prepare for Open House

#10 Our for Sale by Owner's do their First Open House

#12 Joe and Mary get an Offer

#13 Joe and Mary Close the Deal!

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