Pre-Listing Inspection…A Good Strategy???

In today’s real estate market, if you’re seeking listings, it is all about pricing property correctlty. Unlike days gone by where you could price a listing a bit higher than it should be, and if the sellers were not in a rush, allow the market to rise to the price, today it is far different. With the huge amount of inventory at hand, pricing a property to sell usually means that it must be priced in the lower quadrant of the market segment and preferable be the lowest. That way, assuming all things being equal, you will be well positioned to sell the property quickly.

With that being said, this strategy can leave minimal room for negotiation meaning that you have to know in advance what issues, if any, will come up from an inspection. To take care of this, I have been asking my sellers to have a professional inspection done prior to my listing the property, so that we can resolve any issues in advance. After my explanation as to why I feel it is important, their reaction has been extremely positive.

Now with all my listings, I post the fullk inspection report as part of my property flyers. What I have been finding is that if we have addresses a majority of the negative issues that have arisen from the inspection, it helps to promote a positive atmosphere in the total buy/sell process. It also can make the buyers feel a bit more at ease, knowing that the sellers are serious about selling their property.

I have to believe that this approach, although certainly not new or unique, will become more of a standard practice.