How to keep that buyer

Published 22nd Jan 2009

With more and more deals falling through, agents recommend some top tips on how to keep your buyer's interested...

The number of deals that are falling through has risen from approximately 20 per cent in the middle of 2007 to the region of 40 per cent.

Stacks Property Search and Acquisition recommends the following top tips:

Be realistic with price and what it includes

Don't be intransient when it comes to including extras, and don't allow small things to become a sticking point. If including something is going to you're your buyer happy, then be magnanimous

Be co-operative with regards to access - re-visits, measuring up, surveys etc. Don't make the buyer's life difficult

Provide as much information as you can about the property - this will make the buyer's solicitor's job easier and allow the sale to progress quickly

Keep feeding the buyer with information that will make them feel good about buying your house - perhaps old photographs, information about the local community, useful information about schools, church, local events etc

Avoid gazundering by keeping channels of communication open - don't allow time to pass without anything happening

If a chain looks like falling apart because of a price reduction at one level, try and keep it together by negotiating at other levels of the chain

Be a proactive seller - keep in touch with estate agent and all professionals involved with the sale, and if you see that something is holding up progress, take action, don't just wait for someone else to sort it out

Charlie Comber of Hayman-Joyce estate agents adds, "Don't take a stand on a point of principle.

"If the surveyor comes back saying there's some damp, and they renegotiate the price, don't argue with the surveyor, throw your toys out of the pram, and jeopardise the sale.

"Count to ten, take a deep breath, and remind yourself how much work and energy it's taken to get to this stage. It must be fair on both sides, but sometimes it's worth being philosophical rather than going for outrage and destroying the relationship."

Source: ' TMC '

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