Property owners today get easily confused with all the information that is readily available. Sellers of real estate get tons of mail, have all the information at their fingertips, but when it comes time to making a decision, they tend to base their decision on perception rather than reality.

More mail equals higher production

Mailing is the number one thing out of town sellers and locals are confused about.  The majority of these owners interpret more mail as more production, when it can actually mean the opposite.  It should be said right now, that the agent that mails the most may NOT be the highest producer.  These agents mail more stuff because they get listings from sellers that often confuse these agents to be experts in their area.  Lots of agents send mail, just be careful who you pick.  Results are results.

The buyer will make an offer!

In a buyers market, the buyer does not have to correct bad pricing(even if they fall in love with your property), they simply move to the next similar property because inventory and selection are readily available.  You may think your property is the one and only and have a hard time understanding this, but until you do, chances are good you will sit and not sell.  There are always sellers with correct pricing in a buyers market.  Conversely, in a sellers market incorrect pricing can still result in showings, offers and contracts.  If a seller is correctly priced in a buyers market, they should be priced from 1-5% over their ultimate selling  price.  In a sellers market anything between 5 – 20% can still generate a buyer.  No one will buy a $100 pizza or overpay for a Hilton Head property!

All agents are the same!

Most agents place their listings in the local MLS and on the internet, but that is where any similarities between ALL agents ends.  Real estate marketing, phone skills, people skills, work disciplines, internet skills and selling skills are individual as the listing could be long. I still find it hard to believe that sellers choose a “part-time agent” that is a friend, relative or golf buddy to sell one of their largest assets for no other reason than relationship.  We just sold a property for an owner and I am sure we made them $50,000 more than if one of their buddies handled it.  I love my buddies too, but business is business.

Six months is plenty of time to get it sold!

The residential real estate selling months are different than resort selling months in the Hilton Head Area.  Of course, six months should sell a property, the problem is there are not 6 consecutive selling months in the residential real estate market on Hiton Head.  The best selling seasons for the resort market are spring, summer and fall(perfect if you list in the spring).  The best seasons for the residential markets are Spring, Winter and Fall(perfect if you list in the fall).  Bottom line, sometimes sellers may just need to go through a longer period of time depending on their starting date, as timing is everything.

The beach is packed why is my property not getting showings!

The summertime may seem busier, but for the majority of summer visitors, this is beach and family time.  Think about your travel habits during summer.  Of course, resort properties heat up a bit during this time of year, but our residential markets tend to cool off as vacationers hit the beach.  Their agenda is a vacation, not to shop for real estate.  This season is probably the hardest for Hilton Head sellers because they see all the people on the Island and the beach, but no worries because fall is right around the corner.

No such thing as a free lunch on Hilton Head

It is amazing how unsophisticated the sophisticated can be.  I have seen offers of paying sellers $1,000 if the agent does not sell the property in 30 days, offers of free warranties, free closing costs and even buy back programs.  Seems that there is always someone offering something free.  Don’t fall for freebies, because there is always a catch.

Three rules for Hilton Head sellers

Sellers need to ask for printed results direct from the local Hilton Head MLS to confirm information they get in the mail or see on the internet.  Free offers, beautiful mail, incredible websites and big fat claims should be verified by Hilton Head sellers.  Numbers are numbers.  It is our hope that if you are a Hilton Head seller you will remember these three rules (1) Perception is Not Reality, (2)There is no free lunch and (3) Results are results.   All our best wishes for a speedy sale, Robbie Bunting and Jane Hyers