What is a fake seller and why would anyone want to knowingly waste time and money on something so lame? It may seem like a bogus idea, but fake sellers are out there. Trust us, we know. From our short-lived personal experience to boot! I feel a story unraveling…
From the onset, we knew what we wanted. We have been mulling the thought of buying a property for a year and a half, and we had extensively narrowed down the price range, location, and types of homes we would be willing to consider. Additionally, we had been spying on the market over the course of the last few years. For every home type that we were considering, I knew the neighborhoods in which they were located, the price ranges, and the typical pros and cons of the properties. I knew which agents were specialized in selling those particular places as well. So the time came when we were ready to make a leap of faith, I reached out to an agent who specialized in lofts in Orange County, CA.
Originally, we were very specific in which lofts we wanted. We wanted a loft in our current and exact neighborhood. We specifically wanted one that faced the market and commercial area, rather than one that faced Main Street or Memory Lane, which limited our search to less than twenty particular properties. We requested that she reach out to any owners to see if they would be willing to sell their loft.
She returned to us on the same day saying that there IS one owner who is interested in selling. He isn’t listed on the market, and is willing to do it without opening the deal up to other buyers And by that night, we were looking at the property.
That’s where the good parts of this story ended.
The owner had an asking price that was $50,000 more than the average value of the property. He claimed that there were upgrades to the loft, which was very true. We looked at the property and we agreed there were updates. We pulled up a comp report and analyzed the selling price of neighboring lofts in the last 6 months. They were usually selling for $575-$590k and the seller was asking for $650k. We accounted for the upgrades he had made to the home and the slightly larger square footage, and the comp report analysis returned at a value of $612-$617k. Since we really wanted the space, we offered $620k, trying to work with the seller.
Unfortunately, when the counter-offer returned, we knew this was not going to be the home. He returned with a counter offer of $645k AND we had to pay for all of HIS closing costs. He was using the downstairs space of the loft for a digital business and did not physically need to be here in California. Since he does not live in this state, he viewed the selling of the house as an inconvenience and is not willing to put any effort in the selling of his house. When we confronted his agent about the ludicrous price, he simply shrugged his shoulders. He knew that the loft would be appraised at a lower rate than $650k and that the difference will have to be covered by the buyer in cash. The seller’s agent informed us that this entire thing is an inconvenience to the Seller, to which we replied, “Then why bother say he wants to sell?” And like that, we dropped them like a handful of hot coals.
How to Spot Fake Sellers
So here’s the rub. Fake sellers can easily seem like real sellers. They do all the things a real seller would, such as put the house on the market, place FOR RENT signs on the lawn, have an agent and host open viewings. However, whether knowingly or unknowingly, they waste their time and money doing all of this because they are not really READY to sell. If you don’t know how to detect fake sellers, then you cannot avoid them. And if you don’t avoid them, then you may waste precious time and money to fruitlessly negotiate buying a house that isn’t really for sale.
- Are the sellers realistic? The number one reason that people cannot sell their homes is because of a grossly high asking price. When you hear that an owner is having difficulty selling their home at such a high price, beware! As with the case of our first loft offer, what it actually means is that the seller is refusing to accept the market’s opinion of what their house is worth. They may have an alternative motive, such as making up for the costs they’ve spent to upgrade their place. Or just to try to get more money from a buyer who knows nothing about the current market. This, by the way, is different from real sellers who mistakenly place too high of an asking price. Real sellers will wise up over time. Fake sellers will not. My advice is to move on.
- Are the sellers motivated? Getting a seller who is motivated is important. Most sellers are motivated by a life change, such as a job transfer, a recent marriage or divorce, retirement, etc. Having a REALLY motivated seller makes it better for the buyer, because they will have a better chance at negotiation. Our fake seller was obviously not motivated at all, which made it easy for him to be uncompromising. Lack of motivation is a giant red flag. Run the opposite way, especially if you hear them say “they are just testing the market”.
- Do sellers have a time frame? Deadlines make things happen. If the seller has no deadline, then he is in no rush to meet deadlines. It’s easy for fake sellers to start an escrow process and decide to not meet deadlines and kill the deal. Only because there is no urgency to sell the home.
- Are the sellers forthright? Genuine sellers are open about the condition of the home and the legal status. Why? Because they are aware that withholding vital information can ruin the sale. Early disclosures of possible problems help indicate whether you’ve got a real seller on your hands.
- Are the sellers cooperative? Real sellers want to sell their homes. They will look for ways to make the transactions go more smoothly. Inconsistent behavior is another red flag. If seller’s become uncooperative or start missing their deadlines, they may have lost the motivation to sell. When you start to see these signs, ask why they are happening. Otherwise, you may be in for a surprise if the deal ends up blowing up in your face.
My best advice is to do the same as we did. If you find yourself dealing with an unrealistic, unmotivated, and uncooperative seller, it’s time to walk away. Find something else. Maybe that seller will wise up, but then again, maybe not. You don’t want to waste your time and energy trying to coax reason into a seller like that.
Plus, you may find that it ends up being a blessing in disguise and you find a property that checks off even more boxes! Like we did!
