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Lots of viewings but still no offers – why?

We completely understand how frustrating selling your house can be, particularly if your property has been on the market for a while, but you are yet to receive any kind of offer.  It’s even more of a concern if you have had plenty of viewings, but still no offers.

Preparing your home for viewings can be a time-consuming and inconvenient task.  Trust us, we know!  We have all bought and sold our own houses and know how this feels.  Life can be extremely demanding these days, especially if you work full-time or have a family, or both!  It’s virtually impossible to keep on top of the house cleaning and keep it looking great, just in case the phone rings.  This is why it’s even more soul-destroying if, after tidying and staging your home for a viewing, nothing comes of it. 

In our opinion, if your property has had a decent number of viewings, but no further interest, second viewings or offers, then something is clearly not right.  In the current market a house should sell, on average, after about 15 viewings.  At some point during those initial 15 viewings, there should definitely have been some further interest, for example, a second viewing or two, and even a cheeky low offer.  If you feel you are not receiving the interest you deserve, it’s time to take action.

Speak to your agent immediately so you can discuss a way forward.  Here are some of the possible reasons why you may not have received an offer:-

1. Marketing that is misleading or inferior – The correct marketing of your property is absolutely crucial.  If, for example, something important has been omitted from the details, it could be the case that your brochure or online advert is somehow misleading potential buyers.  Double-check that your brochure wording is as honest and accurate as possible.  An example of misleading information might be ‘not mentioning’ something important, such as a busy main road location.  If something important such as this is omitted from the details, this could explain your high level of viewings but no offers.  Check every tiny detail in your brochure.

2. An estate agent who is pushy or over-eager – we realise that estate agents need to be enthusiastic, but there is a difference between this and being ‘pushy’.  If your estate agent goes overboard, they may be coming across too keen or desperate, and may put people off.  Alternatively, if the agent ‘over-sells’ your home in order to secure a viewing, making it sound better than it really is, this can cause wasted viewings too.  The clients will feel disappointed when they visit the property and you will feel disappointed by another wasted viewing.  A good, professional agent will get this balance just right, and will have an honest yet positive manner.  A good agent knows exactly how to sell a house and can turn any negative into a positive.

3. Withholding honest feedback – Some agents shy away from giving any negative feedback after a viewing. This is not helping anyone!  It’s your estate agent’s job to keep you informed of any useful viewer feedback as this helps you and the agent to build up a picture of what could be putting people off.  Let’s say, for example, that someone’s feedback was, “We didn’t realise it was on a busy junction”.  What does this tell you?  Has your agent been honest?  It’s no good misleading clients with false information and it’s also against the regulations.  Honesty is always the best policy.  A good agent will be honest, but find a positive in any negative.  They will mention the junction location, but will add a positive slant.

4. Your house not being shown at its best - Before your house is marketed, and particularly before the photographs are taken, your estate agent should visit your house and give you advice on ‘presentation’ and ‘staging’.  Your property should look its absolute best, and nothing less.  Advice should be offered on room layout, décor, accessories, DIY, finishing touches, soft furnishings, gardens, kerb appeal and anything else that may improve your chances of the sale you want.

We hope this 4-step plan has given you the confidence you need to get the marketing package you want.  In our opinion, the LAST thing you should ever do is reduce the price.  If the property was valued correctly from the start, there should be no need for this.  Look at all your other options first, and get the sale you want at the price you want.

Have you ever struggled to sell a house?  What was the outcome?  Did you reduce the price?  Did you tweak the marketing?  Was your agent helpful?  We would love to hear about your experiences. 

Send us an email at caerphilly@aktons.co.uk or give us a call on 02920 881 441  

We are a friendly bunch and we are always happy to help.