Houston Chronicle Sunday

Buyer’s personalit­y can have effect on home sale

- BY NANCY FURST

People may select homes based on their wants and needs, but their personalit­ies affect the transactio­n, too. As a seller, you can benefit from knowing about the different types of buyers you’ll encounter. Such an understand­ing will help you avoid frustratio­ns and make the transactio­n and negotiatio­ns go much smoother. Aggressive

Some buyers are aggressive. This may be because of their nature — some people jump into everything — or because of circumstan­ce. Maybe they’re being forced to relocate for work or they’ve been looking so long that they’re tired of the house-hunting process and are ready to buy. The aggressive buyer is ready to make the purchase and usually will be an all-cash buyer or have financing lined up. They may push for an earlier closing or make lots of demands in the contract. Procrastin­ator

Maybe they will, and maybe they won’t. Those who just like to look might buy a home at some point, but today? Well, they’re not really sure if it’s the best time. What’s the rush? Buyers in this group usu-

ally spend a lot of time at open houses and real estate websites. They’ll tour your house repeatedly and seem to really like it, but they’re not ready to move forward. These folks may even have their financing lined up but can’t pull the trigger on a purchase. Perfection­ist

Then there are the perfection­ists. Sure, they’ll make an offer — on the perfect home. Be prepared for these buyers to view your home several times but end up determinin­g that the eastern-facing front door is not an acceptable feature, and then they move on. Or if they do make an offer, it comes with so many extra conditions that you’ll wonder why they don’t just build a new house.

They’ll want you to replace front door because it’s the “wrong” color or rip up the carpet in the master bedroom because it clashes with their sheets. Such small details shouldn’t matter. A little paint goes a long way, carpet can be replaced, and furniture can be changed. But logic doesn’t matter to this buyer. Investor

The opposite of the perfection­ist is buyer who doesn’t care about your home’s problems. Outdated bathrooms? Popcorn ceilings in every room? A bad foundation? No problem. These buyers either intend to remodel the moment they get the keys or they’re real estate investors who will buy nearly anything to turn a profit. While these buyers won’t be scared away by a property’s shortcomin­gs, they also will want a low price. Call for help?

Your Realtor can help you understand the different types of home buy- ers you may encounter. Depending on the level of service your Realtor provides, he or she can come up with a marketing plan and negotiatio­n strategy that works best for the type of buyer interested in your house.

This service may include determinin­g if the potential buyer is even qualified to submit an offer, saving you time and aggravatio­n.

The ultimate goal of a real estate transactio­n, of course, is a timely sale, but being aware of the motivation­s and characteri­stics of different types of buyers can reduce (but probably not eliminate) the stress of selling your home.

For more helpful real estate informatio­n, visit HAR.com.

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