Sellers, be cautious of what you tell others about your neighborhood. In a world where social media and the Internet have made it easy to share our opinions publicly, the reputations of everything from local restaurants to home values has become highly malleable in the public eye.
While this culture of communication has its benefits, in the real estate industry, there is one instance where it can pay in actual dollars to keep your thoughts to yourself: When sellers are anxious to get out of a neighborhood but are simultaneously hoping to find a buyer who will fall in love with it. If sellers publicly gripe about where they live, particularly on social media, their words might dissuade a potential buyer from considering their neighborhood or result in a lower offer when it come to selling their home.
It’s a fact. Homeowners outgrow their homes all the time. This can result from a variety of causes: the school system might not be up to par, the property taxes are too high or the neighborhood might be going downhill. Wise sellers will keep talk of these things to the dinner table, but many freely share this information in public forums, neighborhood social media pages and town-focused websites. What they don’t know is that buyers are likely to research these platforms when looking to gain an overview of the area. They are basically telling every prospective buyer their home has low value.
In this day in age, sellers should think of themselves as deputized real estate agents, responsible for representing their property in a positive way. An agent would never threaten a sale by showcasing the poor qualities of a home, and sellers should do the same. The theory of six degrees of separation – suggesting that any two people on Earth are connected by only a maximum of six acquaintances – reminds us that we can never know who is connected with the people we share information with online. The best advice: if you want someone else to love your home, make it seem as lovable
as possible to the public.
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