Not only has the internet made it possible for potential buyers to find your house online, they can post feedback after touring your home via online survey tools. How can you benefit from this?
Almost instant feedback. Savvy agents know that ratings and comments provided by potential buyers help them improve the presentation of listed homes. Survey tools such as eagentfeeback.com and showingsuite.com offer the chance for buyers to remark on a home they have toured. Both ratings and comments are included.
Sometimes the comments are anticipated. The owner of a house with a tiny backyard isn’t going to be surprised when potential buyers say they want a larger space for their children to play. Property size, of course, isn’t something sellers can change. Sometimes, however, the comments reveal things sellers can fix. For example, if you have a cat or dog and potential buyers comment on a pet odor, sellers should act on that feedback, immediately doing a deep cleaning to eradicate the smell.
Don’t take it personally. It would be easy to feel stung by buyer critiques, but try not to let the criticism bother you. This is business. Talk with your agent and evaluate the comments. Are they constructive? If so, learn from them. Are they petty? Ignore them. Sift through the comments and ratings, finding what can help you. This becomes especially important if the house doesn’t sell in a reasonable amount of time.
Criticisms could be a negotiating ploy. Sometimes potential buyers use criticisms to leverage a better deal. The criticisms mask the fact that they like the house and need something to use as a tool for a better price. A shrewd agent can help you ferret out such strategies. If the criticism is legitimate, you may need to adjust your price to land the deal.
