You Can't Hide Behind A Euphemism When Your Home Does Not Sell
There are many home sellers who wish they had hired a better real estate company when they first put their home on the market. They didn't put much thought into it at the time, but now they find themselves locked into a long-term contract with an agent or organization that will not be selling their home.
When I search the Tallahassee MLS, I often browse the long list of homes that failed to sell. Technically, when the contract between the home seller and the real estate company runs out of time without achieving a sale, the listing is deemed "Expired."
For REALTORS, this is such an ugly term that many agents like to game the system and change the status from "Expired" to "Canceled" or "Withdrawn." These are just euphemisms for failure.
Euphemisms For Failure
A euphemism is a generally innocuous word or expression used in place of one that may be found offensive or suggest something unpleasant. - Wikipedia
No matter what kind of label a real estate agent wants to put on it, a home that does not sell is a failure. It does no good for a homeowner to switch their listing status from Expired to Canceled. Nor does a switch from Expired to Withdrawn help either.
Here are some other euphemisms that don't help the situation, though it likely is more pleasing to the ear:
- Somebody who has "passed away" is still "dead"
- A TV that "fell off the back of a truck" is still "stolen" to the owner
- Somebody who was "collateral damage" is still "dead"
- Somebody who is "between jobs" remains "unemployed"
- My wife who is "chronologically-challenged" is always running late
- Her husband who is "big-boned" is still "overweight"
- It's no easier explaining "the birds and the bees" to your kids than talking about "sex"
So euphemisms used in real estate occur for the same reason they occur everywhere else in our language. To hide an unpleasant outcome.
Home Sellers With "Unpleasant Outcomes"
So we're not going to use a real estate euphemism here, 45% of home sellers "failed to sell" over the past 365 days.
Whether the status of the Tallahassee property listing was set to "canceled," "expired," or "withdrawn," these homeowners wanted to sell their home but failed.
NOW WHAT DO YOU DO?
Yes, you failed to sell your home. But that does not mean you have a home that is tough to sell, it just means you started off without having the right plan. By following the guidance in this booklet, you can get your home sold and move towards the goal which you were seeking when you first put your home up for sale.
I promise if you read this booklet cover to cover and follow its advice, you will not fail again. Tell us to whom and where you would like us to send our 60-page booklet for home sellers.
If you are thinking about selling a home, know that nearly half of your existing competition has already failed over the past year. They are now understanding they were ill-prepared and will be more motivated.
If you would like to know how to sell your home (on your first attempt), just drop me a note and we can schedule a time to review your home and your situation and give you successful guidance.
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