April Showings Bring May Closings!

April showings bring May closings!

When it rains, it pours!! And just like the showers in April that bring the flowers in May, showings work to produce closings. This is good for both buyers and sellers of real estate. Got a property you are trying to sell? Schedule as many showings with your Realtor as possible, private or open house. The more traffic you have into your home or investment property, the more likely you are to get an offer sooner than later. People have to see it to believe and therefore buy into it. If you're living in your home, while you're selling, it may be difficult to coordinate showings or you may be inconvenienced from time to time. While you can't, and shouldn't stop living, you should always be ready to show. Doing so will only help you meet your goal...to get your property under agreement and continue the process to closing. If you are selling your property on your own (FSBO) and an agent has a buyer in the car, they generally want to tour it right then! They see your yard sign, then call you. So if you're home first verify identity, scramble to tidy up, then let them in. If your property is listed with a Realtor, they should be calling that agent to set up the showing! Of course, for safety reasons, don't answer the door to just anyone. Verify identity always but Never turn down a showing request unless it's absolutely necessary.

I often get asked "Why isn't my property selling?" While there are many plausible answers, not allowing prospects to come in, at their convenience, just causes them to go check the next property on their list. This could lead to them never returning to yours. And that would be unfortunate because your home might have been the best choice for them. If you're on the market, be ready. I had a client who was often "too busy" to show and couldn't get ready fast enough. Sure things come up where you absolutely cannot show a property, but those should be few and far between. Multiple back to back excuses such as "We'll be out of town", "My Christmas tree is up" and "What about the dogs?" can all be handled easily to ensure both sides are happy. But to blatantly refuse is never good. Sure, we all have lives to live and this might seem like a huge annoyance, but you should know that this can happen when you put your property on the market. It's part of playing the game and you want to be the winner!!!

Just like Sellers should hustle to get their property sold, buyers need to be ready to bid on something they like. If you're truly interested in purchasing a home or investment property, you should know that timing is everything. If you snooze, you could lose. While there have been discussions that the tide is slowly turning towards favoring buyers rather than the seller's market it has been, I haven't seen that yet here in Pittsburgh, PA. Inventory is still very low and interested lookers are plentiful, so act fast. If you're paying by cash then you're ready to move forward. But if not, get your pre-approval before going anywhere. Narrow down the homes you want to see from looking at the listings online. Attend as many showings as possible in the shortest amount of time, with your Realtor or real estate professional of choice. You can certainly go on your own, but why not take an agent that can point out things of concern while you're there. Open houses in the neighborhoods you're interested in helps you get a feel for value and location. Feel free to call your real estate professional and have them set up a private showing for those properties you're truly interested in. But please respect a Realtor's hard work by sticking with one Realtor to help you. A good one will guide you through the process keeping you on track, as there are always deadlines to adhere to.

A typical time frame from accepted offer to closing often takes between 30 to 45 days or longer. Again, timing is everything! There are a lot of things that happen between offering and closing such as negotiations, title searches, inspections, appraisals, contingencies, walk-throughs and such. Both the buyer and seller need this time to get everything in order. A good agent will help you through these steps, but in order to close as quickly as possible, you will need to be on top of things. If a showing is requested, avail your home. If you want to make an offer, don't delay. If documents need to be signed, sign them as soon as possible. Granted, you may want a quick close, but patience is crucial. So is dedication to getting things done in a timely order.

Bottom line.....Don't Wait....Do It Now! Get going on finding that dream home or business investment. Buyers, check properties available, arrange showings and go to open houses. Sellers get your property ready to show and conduct open houses. Be motivated to sell or buy a home/investment property even when it's inconvenient to do so.

Being proactive can turn those April showings into May closings!