They Don't Want the Ugly Painting Either

This is a better picture than the one over the mantle. Trust me.

Last weekend I had the extraordinarily awkward experience of showing my buyers a house with the sellers home and waiting for us. I hate when that happens. These sellers, who apparently feel their agent does not know best (because they were told, repeatedly DO NOT BE HOME FOR THE SHOWING), did not leave. Instead, they followed my buyers around. "We did this to the home because the widget there was broken." "We can leave the (ugly) painting over the fireplace for you because it doesn't match the home we are CLOSING ON THIS NEXT FRIDAY." "Do you want the wallpaper removed? I am happy to do it."  These sellers said lots of things they didn't realize played into our hand. We know they are desperate. We know what is broken. We know what to ask for. We did all of the above.

Yesterday, the seller called me, super chipper like we were great pals. What did my clients think of the house? This was another awkward moment, because the seller should never call the buying agent. Ever. That's why they are paying for representation. I quickly got off the phone, making the legitimate excuse that I was out in North Phoenix for breakfast with my 80 year old father.

What I didn't tell him was my clients liked the home. I didn't need the seller telling the next potential buyer that comes along there might be an offer so they better get theirs in soon for a full-scale bidding war. That doesn't serve my client.

This morning I wrote up an offer. And yes, the wallpaper removal was written into the contract. So was the installation of the pool fence the seller suggested he would be willing to do. So was a price reduction because the seller said the AC was 28 years old. I also knew the seller was mildly desperate and a lot of other life-circumstances that are playing into our hand.

And, if I didn't know it prior to me writing up the contract, I knew it ten minutes later when the seller called, once again. This time I started the call with, "I cannot speak with you. You have a real estate agent representing you."

However, the seller dismissed this and instead started asking, "What changed the buyer's mind? I thought they liked my home. How come they didn't put an offer in?" (because we hadn't yet, that's all) "Do you think I should remove the wallpaper?" "Do you think I should paint the cabinets?" "Is the home well-priced? I think it is in line with what Zillow says... do you?" (argh!) "You are a woman. Why do you think my home hasn't sold? What else can I do to make the home more attractive?"

I would love to have answered that last one with "stop being so needy and let your agent do his job." Instead, I reminded him, once again, that we aren't supposed to be talking and I needed to go. I did sorta say sit tight, because I was sure an offer is coming soon.

My one super-foolish response that I wish I could take back was based on the fact the contract had already been written. I said, "Go ahead, remove the wallpaper." And looking back, that was just plain stupid. There was no contract in place and I got something for my clients outside of the the sale that should have been negotiable. Plus, even though I said this, who knows if my buyer's offer was going to be accepted. What if the seller took another offer but did what I told him to do? A judge would purse his lips in a disapproving manner if I had to explain that in court. Also, I was talking directly to a needy and desperate seller. And I knew it.

There are so many reasons why this was a wrong. Fortunately, when I confessed my sin to his agent, we both got a laugh out of it instead of what could have been an ugly situation. Dang! I know better. I have now blocked the seller's phone number. I don't want to get caught in that trap again.

As I write this, the contract has yet to be presented to the seller so I don't know what will come of this. However, I think the wallpaper is already off the walls.