Every seller wants the same three things. The most money, in the least amount of time, with the least amount of stress.

Nobody gets all three at full strength. Which one gives depends on one question: why are you selling?

That answer shapes the price, the timeline, the terms, and how the negotiation goes. It’s also the first thing a sharp buyer’s agent tries to figure out.

Motivation sets the trade-offs

Think about two sellers with the same house on the same street.

One is retiring and wants to move closer to the grandkids “sometime next year.” No mortgage pressure, no deadline. That seller can hold firm on price and wait for the right buyer.

The other has a job starting in another state in 60 days and is about to carry two house payments. That seller cares more about a clean, certain closing than squeezing out the last few thousand dollars.

Same house. Very different negotiations.

Motivation affects:

• Price flexibility. A seller with time can wait. A seller with a deadline often can’t.
• Timeline. A fast close, a delayed close, or a rent-back after closing can be worth more to some sellers than price.
• Terms. Seller credits for closing costs, selling as-is, repairs, even seller financing. What a seller will agree to follows what they need.
• How hard they push back. A seller who doesn’t have to sell can say no. That changes the whole tone.

How buyers and agents read it

Good agents ask. In this business we use a checklist for every new client called LPMAMA: location, price, motivation, agent, mortgage, appointment. Motivation is right in the middle because everything else depends on it.

When a buyer’s agent can’t ask the seller directly, they look for clues:

• The house is vacant
• It’s been on the market a long time, or the price has dropped more than once
• It’s an estate sale, or the owner lives out of state
• The listing remarks say “motivated seller,” “must sell,” or “bring all offers”
• Public records show the owner already bought another home
• The listing agent says too much on the phone

That last one happens more than you’d think. A buyer’s agent calls and asks, “What’s the story with the sellers?” and gets an answer like “They already closed on their place in Tennessee, they just want out.” That one sentence just cost the seller money.

Sellers: be careful what you say

If you’re selling, guard your reasons the same way you’d guard your bottom line.

• Don’t tell buyers at showings or open houses why you’re moving or when you need to be gone.
• Don’t post your moving date or your new house on social media while you’re under contract or on the market.
• Talk to your listing agent about what can be shared. Agree on it in advance.

On that last point: in Florida, a transaction broker generally can’t disclose a party’s motivation, or that a seller will take less than the asking price, unless you waive that in writing. Even so, have the conversation with your agent up front. Make sure everyone in their office who answers the phone about your listing knows the answer to “why are they selling” is “they’re ready for their next chapter,” and nothing more.

And if your agent writes “motivated seller” in your listing remarks, ask why. That phrase rarely brings a higher offer. It brings lower ones. I’d let that agent go.

Buyers: ask, then listen

If you’re buying, ask your agent to find out what matters to the seller. Sometimes the best offer isn’t the highest price. It’s the closing date the seller needs, or a quick inspection period, or letting them stay two weeks after closing. Give the seller what they need and you may not have to give them as much money.

Why someone is selling tells you more about the deal than the asking price does.

If you’re thinking about selling, or you’re looking at a house and want help reading the situation, call or text me at 727-409-4663. Before you make an expensive decision, let’s look at the complete picture.

Randal Jenkins
Broker-Owner, Florida Real Estate Partners
Loan Officer, American Mortgage Services, NMLS #2053417
727-409-4663 (409-HOME)

Every seller wants the same three things. The most money, in the least amount of time, with the least amount of stress.

So when you’re interviewing Realtors to sell your house, there’s one question that matters more than the rest. What are you going to do that the other agents won’t?

Eric and I spent a whole episode of the Randal Jenkins Real Estate Hour on this. I asked AI for a thousand ways to sell a property. It told me there aren’t a thousand, and gave me 170. Most of them were the same handful of ideas cut into smaller pieces. That’s actually the useful part. Selling a house comes down to a few things done well.

The three-point marketing plan

There’s an old joke in this business. The three-point marketing plan: put it on MLS, put a sign in the yard, and pray.

A lot of listings are marketed exactly that way. MLS matters. It feeds Zillow, Realtor.com and the other sites automatically. But being on MLS is the minimum. Every agent does it. It doesn’t set your house apart from the other twenty in the same price range.

A property doesn’t sell because it’s on MLS. It sells because the right buyers saw it, understood it, and had their questions answered before they asked.

What a real plan looks like

Here’s what I’d expect to hear from an agent who’s earning the listing:

• Pictures that match the house. Photos can make a house look better than it is, worse than it is, or like it is. Aim for “like it is” or a little better. If buyers walk in and feel misled, you’ve lost them, and you’ve wasted everyone’s showing time.
• Remarks that lead with features. Three bedroom, two bath, two-car garage, block home, fenced yard. Put that on the first line. Buyers scroll fast. Nobody needs a paragraph telling them a kitchen is where you cook.
• The right keywords. MLS has hundreds of searchable fields, from flood zone to septic to pets. Financing words matter too: FHA, VA, conventional, cash. If your house qualifies for something a buyer is filtering for, it needs to show up.
• A sign that works after dark. A lighted sign, a flyer box, and a QR code that goes to a single-property website. A lot of people don’t want to call an agent. They just want the price. Let them get it.
• Video and 3D walkthroughs. Out-of-state buyers are common here. A walkthrough lets them see the layout before they get on a plane.
• Paid exposure. Some agents pay for enhanced placement on sites like Realtor.com and Homes.com so your listing gets pushed to buyers searching for what you have. I do. Ask whether they do.
• Neighborhood outreach. Door knocking to invite neighbors to an open house, neighborhood newsletters, just-listed mailers. Neighbors often know who wants to move in.

Two things to watch for

First, don’t confuse pretty with effective. I’ve seen plenty of expired listings with professional photos and professional video. They didn’t sell. On a luxury home, professional media is a must. On a typical three-two in the middle of the market, price and accuracy matter more than polish.

Second, pricing is still the foundation. Good marketing gets more buyers to look. It won’t get them to pay more than the market supports. If an agent tells you what you want to hear on price, ask them to show you the sales that back it up. And if you’re stuck between what you want and what the agent says, a pre-sale appraisal can settle the argument with someone who has no stake in it.

What to ask in the interview

Ask every agent the same question: “Walk me through exactly how you’ll market my house in the first two weeks.” Then compare the answers. The agent who says “MLS and a sign” is telling you the truth about their plan.

The market decides the price. Your agent decides how many of the right buyers find out about it.

If you’re thinking about selling and want to see what I’d do with your house, call or text me at 727-409-4663. Let’s look at your options.

Randal Jenkins
Broker-Owner, Florida Real Estate Partners
Loan Officer, American Mortgage Services, NMLS #2053417
727-409-4663 (409-HOME)

There are several things that you can do to get more from the sale of your real estate.

Three of these are noted in my book Selling Your Central Florida Home.   There are more ways and today’s blog will address one of them.

Offer Owner Financing.

If you have the proceeds of the sale are earmarked, then this will not work for you.

Many sellers get a lump sum of cash and then must find a place to put it to earn a good safe return.

Some sellers in the past have offered owner financing to buyers.  Leaving some of the proceeds in the form of a mortgage to the buyer.

For example, if a seller wanted to earn 10% safely.

Lets create a real world example:

Sales price $400,000.   You would have taken $350,000, but by offering owner financing you are able to get $400,000.

Down payment $160,000

Seller holds a $240,000 mortgage on the property.

10% interest

It would generate $2000 a month in income. 

5-year balloon

$24000 a year x 5 years = $120,000

Then you get the $240,000 back.

You sold your property for more money by offered owner financing.  This is only a good idea if you do not have a safe home for the money.

What is the downside of this strategy:

You don’t have the money.  It is tied up in the house.

The buyer may not pay you back.  You would have to foreclose.  This might be a good thing because you could then sell the house again.  You will have received the buyers $160,000 and if the buyer paid for a year, another $24,000 and then sell the house again.  Another $375,000 when you sold it again.  You would have $2500 or so in foreclosure costs, a certain amount of grief and some lost interest income over the months of nonpayment.  And of course, the condition of the house may deteriorate as the new owner loses pride.

There are other variables.  Because the buyer is paying a high interest rate, they are likely to refinance and cash you out early.

Generally, if you own a home for 1 year a refinance is easy.  A buyer today might have a challenge getting new financing to purchase, but in 12 months they may be able to do an easier refinance.

In 12 months, it would look like the buyer bought a home for $400,000.  They owe $240,000.  A lender would likely find that kind of refinance attractive.

You would have received $160,000 up front $24,000 a year in interest and your $240,000 back.   $425,000.   This is for a home that was only worth $350,000.

The logistics are fairly easy, the title company will prepare the documents. Call me to discuss.

Randy

Randal Jenkins Realtor

http://www.409home.com http://www.FloridaRealEstateFamily.com RJ409home@Gmail.com 727-409-4663 (409-home)