4 Ways to Help Emotional Home Sellers

We all know the saying “home is where the heart is.” This adage has stuck around for a reason – ask anyone at the end of a long day and they’ll tell you they can’t wait to get home. Home is more than a place where we keep our stuff; it’s where we feel safe and relax with those we care about it. Emotions can be a strength and a weakness to the home buying and selling process. Here are 4 ways to help emotional home sellers stay focused on the future.

1. Ask questions & listen to the answers

The first step in helping emotional home sellers is to acknowledge their strong feelings and memories associated with the house. Whether they’ve been in the house for 5 years or 50 years, they have some level of emotional attachment to it. Ask what makes the house special to them. Then ask them for the reasons why they want to sell their home, including what the home is lacking and what they’d like to see in their next place. Try and move their thinking from what they may be losing to what they have to gain.

2. Educate & communicate

Emotional attachment can lead home sellers to overvalue their home. It’s harder for them to see updates that need to be made or issues other buyers may see. If this is happening with your clients, you may have to show them the harsh light of data. Market research on pricing and comps in both their current home and the area they want to move is hard to argue with and can help provide backup for your suggested listing price.

Communication is everything during the buying and selling process and is even more important with emotional home sellers. Communicate constantly so your clients never feel confused or surprised by any developments or decisions. Keeping an open dialogue also ensures fewer surprises coming your way as well.

3. Be respectful, but honest

Feeling strong emotions about moving isn’t wrong, but allowing them to cloud your judgment or memory can lead sellers down the wrong path. Without dismissing their emotional attachment, remind the home sellers the reasons why they reached out to you with the intention to sell their home and how they can get what they want in their next home. This home was perfect for them until it wasn’t, and it’s waiting to become the perfect home for the next family.

4. Listen to your gut — and theirs

If you’ve tried six ways from Sunday to show the homeowners how to sell and all signs point to the reality they aren’t truly ready for the home selling process, follow those signs! By giving emotional home sellers space and a pressure-free environment to change their mind, it will encourage them to call you once they are truly ready to sell. Keep your social media up-to-date and be sure they are on your email marketing mailing list so they can find you when they need you.

The home buying and selling process is time-consuming for sellers and real estate agents. Don’t waste either party’s time by trying to convince a homeowner who isn’t emotionally ready to sell.

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