Have you ever been flipping through the channels, only to find yourself binging on HGTV? There are so many choices….. “Love it or List it,” “Fixer Upper,” “House Hunters,” “Property Brothers,” and on and on and on. Many buyers binge watch these shows right before they start looking for a new home themselves. When you’re in the midst of that real estate themed show marathon, you may think that everything you see on TV must be how it works in real life. STOP! Turn off the TV – Reality TV shows are not real. Sorry to tell you the bad news! Finding that perfect home requires more work than a thirty minute stroll through 3 homes!
Trust me!
Reality TV Show Myths vs. Real Life:
Myth #1: Buyers look at 3 homes and make a decision to purchase one of them.
Truth: There may be buyers who fall in love and buy the first home they see, but according to the National Association of Realtors the average homebuyer tours ten homes as a part of their search. The NAR doesn’t even begin to guess how many homes those buyers have looked at on line before they even got into the car to look at “real” properties.
Myth #2: The houses the buyers are touring are still for sale.
Truth: The reality is being staged for TV. Many of the homes being shown are already sold and are off the market. Several years ago, a home that I had listed in Chevy Chase DC was selected as one of the homes that the buyers were considering on a reality TV show. No matter that my listing was already under contract. It was never going to be considered by the TV buyers anyway…. which brings us to Myth #3.
Myth #3: The buyers haven’t made a purchase decision yet.
Truth: Since there is no way to show the entire buying process in a 30-minute show, TV producers often choose buyers who are further along in the process and have already chosen a home to buy.
Myth #4: If you list your home for sale, it will ALWAYS sell at the Open House.
Truth: Of course this would be great! Open houses are important to guarantee the most exposure to buyers in your area, but are only a PIECE of the overall marketing of your home. Just realize that many homes are sold during regular listing appointments as well.
Myth #5: Homeowners make a decision about selling their home after a 5-minute conversation.
Truth: Similar to the buyers portrayed on the shows, many of the sellers have already spent hours deliberating the decision to list their homes and move on with their lives/goals.
Bottom Line
Having an experienced professional on your side while navigating the real estate market is the best way to guarantee that you can make the home of your dreams a reality!