The real estate market is cyclical. Even a long-lasting buyer or seller’s market will eventually come to an end as demand, price and supply change in any particular area.

As the name indicates, a buyer’s market is one in which the real estate market conditions favor buyers. Perhaps the inventory of listed properties is exceeding current demand, and sellers are forced to lower their listing prices. This provides the opportunity for buyers to purchase property at a better price than typical market value.

In all our years in the real estate space in the Inland Empire, we at Windermere have seen sellers make common mistakes that have resulted in them missing out on a profitable sale! If you are thinking about buying or selling a home, it is important to understand the market dynamics that could affect your bottom line.

To help you avoid, our expert team has listed some of the common mistakes that sellers make in a Buyer’s Market.

What Is a Buyer’s Market?

As you might have guessed, a buyer’s market favors buyers, not sellers. But what, exactly, does that mean?

A buyer’s market happens when the number of homes available is greater than the number of potential buyers. Simply put, the supply exceeds the demand in the real estate market. One indicator of a buyer’s market is lower home prices.

During a buyer’s market, homes often sell right around the listing price and sometimes even less. There is little opportunity to demand anything higher without causing buyers to turn to other comparable homes in your area. Sellers are at a disadvantage because of the volume of competition. Instead of waiting for the right buyer to come along, sellers often agree to a sale for less than they hoped when the home was listed.

Another sign of a buyer’s market is seeing homes on the market for longer than average. If you drive through any given neighborhood and notice the same “For Sale” signs staying for weeks or even months, it is likely a buyer’s market. During this type of market, you are unlikely to see a bidding war for a home like you would in a seller’s market. Buyers in this type of market know they have the upper hand and are typically unwilling to spend above the asking price since they have so many homes to choose from.

Signs of a Buyer’s Market

  • More properties on the market than in past periods
  • 6 months or more of inventory on the market
  • Listed properties spending more time on the market
  • Current listing prices below previous sales prices
  • Lower overall closing percentage
  • Falling average house prices
  • An increase in real estate ads trying to attract buyers
  • Numerous Foreclosures
  • Low Interest Rates

5 Seller Mistakes in a Buyer’s Market

Overpricing

When selling your house, it is natural to want the most you can get from the sale but in a buyer’s market, you want to be a bit more conservative when it comes to pricing your property. When you overprice your house, an informed buyer will be able to spot the inflated cost right away.

If the asking price is too high, there is a high probability that your house will remain on the market longer. The problem with this is that buyers see the extended time on the market as the property being less than desirable. To avoid this, make sure the asking price is just right so that you have room to negotiate. This way you will end up attracting more buyers.

 Inaccessibility

A serious seller must make the property easy to show for potential buyers. Most of the people looking to enter the real estate market are searching online. As a result, this means that within hours of posting your home online, you may start getting requests from people who want to physically see the property in person. Making your property hard to access will play a major role in reducing the price and the image associated with it.

Not Taking the First Offer

Oftentimes, sellers do not take their first offer seriously. They keep holding out in hopes of a better offer. However, numerous studies have shown that more than 70% of the time, it is the first buyer that ends up buying the property. The first offer may be far lower than what you had expected. There still may be some room for negotiations in a buyer’s market, but keep your expectations lower that you would in a different market.

Offering Credit

If you have a leaky faucet, an unhinged door or the house needs a slight paint job, then it is in your best interest to invest the time and money to resolve these issues before you step foot on the market with this piece of property.

Most people do not want to buy a property in poor shape, especially in a buyer’s market. Competition is too high. Buyers that are investing in real estate property during a buyer’s market tend to be more selective. They want to look for the best simply because they can find the best. Thus, it is essential to get your property in its best shape. Locate the problems and fix them based on your discretion. It is wise to prioritize these issues based on their profitability.

A lot of sellers offer credit against such flaws. This just lowers the selling price. Instead of offering credits or a price cut, take out a day or two and get such issues resolved. This will result in your property selling faster and at a higher price.

 Highly Personalized Changes

Often, sellers make the mistake of over personalizing the house they are selling. As a result, the probability of something being unuseful or unwanted to the other person increases significantly. If you end up making very specific and highly personalized changes, there is a high possibility that it might not work out for the buyer.

Therefore the highly recommended and fool proof plan here is to think like a buyer and put yourself in someone else’s shoes for a while. This will help streamline a lot of things when it comes to selling a property.

Selling a Home in a Buyer’s Market

Selling a home in a buyer’s market can be an uphill battle, so it’s important to mentally prepare yourself for what can be a stressful process. Make sure you will be able to emotionally separate what you love about your home from the feedback you get from buyers, and remind yourself that it is normal to receive lowball offers in a buyer’s market. Try not to be offended.

If and when an offer does come in, do whatever you can to keep the negotiations going, staying open and flexible. Remember to consider the full package. There is more to selling a home than just the sale price, and entertaining low offers does not make you a desperate seller — it makes you a smart one, as you are making the most of a cool market. If you do not have wiggle room on price, consider other concessions you could make to your buyer, including appliances, offering a convenient close date, or waiving contingencies.

If you are selling and buying at the same time — selling your current home in order to buy a new property—you may want to wait to buy your house until after your current house has sold. Buying is easy in a buyer’s market, so you should be able to find and purchase a new home quickly.

Find the Right Agent

If a buyer has a lot of homes to choose from in the area that he wants to be in, then it’s a buyers’ market. If there are few homes in that area, then it’s a sellers’ market. You can figure it out by asking your agent or you can go online and look at the number of homes that are for sale in your area.

Windermere’s community of real estate professionals is our greatest asset. We have experts in all areas of real estate, from your typical starter home to condos, luxury properties, and new construction. While residential real estate is the mainstay of our business, Windermere also has offices and associates who specialize in property management, commercial real estate, and relocation services. To further facilitate the home buying process, Windermere has affiliated partners in certain regions to provide mortgage, title, and escrow services.

Call us today with any questions or concerns. Our professional Real Estate Agents will help you through this exciting process. (951) 369-8002