Know Your Sellers & Better Meet Their Needs

In any business, it is important to know your audience. In real estate, the same holds true. Not only do you need to know what home buyers want, but also you need to know your sellers. The better sense you have of your sellers and what they want out of their sale, the easier it will be to win listings as well as provide them with top-notch service.

Some of the Different Types of Home Sellers

Every seller is different and will have unique needs, but there are still a lot of commonalities. In today’s market, some common types of home sellers that you should be familiar with include:

• Millennials
• Seniors
• Inheritors
• Divorcees
• Investors

These groups of home sellers often face similar hurdles when it comes to selling, but the more you know about them, the more you can help them (and yourself).

Knowing Your Sellers

All sellers are unique but certain groups of home sellers have some similarities. Once you have a good grasp of these similarities, you can use them to inform and help your business.

Millennials

Millennials are the generation that was born between roughly 1981 and 1996. They make up a large portion of homeowners and are buying homes later in life than previous generations. Growing up watching those home improvement shows, millennials are looking for move-in ready homes with updated features and modern styles.

While they may be looking for move-in ready homes when they buy, their own homes may not always fit this bill. Millennial home sellers often have children and busy lives. As a result, some repairs go on the back burner. To help these sellers get their homes market-ready, often some basic listing preparations like painting, repairs, and landscaping will suffice.

Seniors

Senior home sellers often have extra needs. Many have lived in the same house for most of their adult lives and are now moving because of a big life change such as the loss of a spouse or health problems. A lot of senior sellers also have homes with deferred maintenance or houses that have not seen a lot of updates in several years. Certain necessary repairs haven fallen to the wayside, and the style of the home is wildly outdated.

Because buyers only want move-in ready homes, senior sellers often struggle to get their homes off the market unless they are willing to make updates beforehand. Unfortunately, many do not have the cash to pay for these changes or do not want to deal with the hassle of home improvement projects. Selling as-is will leave homes sitting on the market and selling for much less than if the seller had made a few simple updates.

While upfront costs can be problematic, many senior sellers have a lot of equity in their homes. Because of this, we are a viable solution for these sellers. These homeowners can make updates without having to worry about any upfront costs. On top of this, every listing is assigned a project manager, so the homeowner does not need to stress about the work.

Inheritors

When adult children inherit their parents’ homes, they may not know what to do next. Like with senior sellers, inheritor sellers are often left with homes that are showing significant wear and tear or are out of style. These people are typically looking to sell quickly to get the house off their hands. Because it is not their primary residence, they also likely do not want to pour a lot of money into the house before selling.

For these sellers, being able to avoid upfront costs can be enticing. Tack on that we focus on profit-driven results and speed to market, and you can offer these sellers a winning solution. Especially if multiple people are involved in the home sale, we can act as a neutral party that guides the process and helps them make informed decisions.

Divorcees

Divorcees selling their homes may be looking to downsize because they can no longer afford to pay for or maintain their previous homes without a joint income. In some cases, they may also need to sell for top dollar to pay for attorney fees, moving expenses, and more. Regardless of the exact circumstances, many are looking to sell quickly so they can start the next chapter in their life, but a home sold as-is often just sits on the market. For a speedy sale, updates are imperative.

While contractors are subject to delays and missed deadlines, we use streamlined processes and technology to help complete work faster. On top of that, we are a third party that sellers can rely on to make impartial decisions regarding the projects with the highest return.

Investors

Investors selling homes are looking to sell for top dollar. They bought the home for one amount and are now looking to boost their return. They care about profit and results, so if you want them to partner with you, you need to be able to show them that you can get results.

For investors who fund and manage their own flips, we may be a dream come true. Not only are upfront costs eliminated but so is project management. Investors can sit back and relax while we use our database of local and national research to determine the projects with the highest ROI and execute the work.

Regardless of the seller, buyers are only looking for move-in ready homes, and no listing is market-ready without a little work. At Curbio, we help your sellers get their homes ready for the market regardless of the scope of the work. With added benefits like a profit-driven approach and project management, we are a solution for almost every seller. Get a free estimate today.