Everyone involved in relocation knows that selling the residence at origin is a pivotal point in the transition to a new locale. Getting the “old home” sold and moving forward to the new location can also be the source of frustration and delays which increase costs and stress for everyone involved.
Relocation policies that provide clear guidelines and perimeters for the marketing of a transferring employee’s home help streamline the process and can oftentimes speed up the timeline.
The three most important factors in Real Estate are:
- Location
- Condition
- Price
The location of the residence is fixed. It cannot be changed. Knowing that, the other two factors become more important. Both of these can be addressed in your policy.
Condition: This can be a touchy subject for everyone. But it is important to emphasize to the homeowner that deferred maintenance must be addressed before the home is listed. Everything on the property must be cleaned, organized and refreshed. Sometimes a coat of paint is needed, sometimes de-cluttering closets is a must and everyone needs to look at the residence with an awareness of what buyers want to see. Color and decor is a personal issue and it is important to understand that sellers need to make their home attractive and inviting to as many people as possible.
Price: We recommend that you build into your policy a formula for determining the most likely sales price. Establish guidelines for setting the list price on any home in your program to assure it is market based and current.
By building into your policy accountability for marketing a home you are assured that every reasonable effort to sell the home is done. Make it clear that your goal is the same as the homeowner’s objective…..a quick home sale at the best market price.