What Does “Motivated Seller” Really Mean?

We see a lot of this phrase in many listings but does it actually do anything? Is it just a ploy to get buyers to offer something… anything?

Motivated Sellers could mean a variety of things; they may have already moved and need to get the property sold fast before they need to pay another double mortgage payment or some other reason that requires them to get rid of the house fast. However, this could also be a ploy to get buyers hungry to offer something before someone else does.  It could be the last ditch effort of a desperate seller or it could just be the bait to get you in the door. Regardless, “motivated sellers” should entertain just about any offer no matter how low. Does this mean that buyers should offer 30% lower than the asking price? Probably not, but a good 10% might work and even up to 15% in some cases.Motivated sellers in Portland Oregon

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Its always best to ask your Portland real estate agent to price similar homes to see if the home is currently priced right. If it’s high, your agent can speak to the listing agent directly, asking why the home is priced high. If it’s priced correctly, your agent can still inquire as the reason for the fast sale and how low they may be willing to go. Of course, the agent knows that the buyer will offer the lowest possible offer but understanding the situation may put you, the buyer, in a better leveraging position. The more you know and understand the sellers point of view, the more fine-tuned your offer can be.

Other similar phrases are “Make me Move”, “Bring all offers”, and “Priced to Sell”. All homes should be priced to sell if the seller is serious about selling. This usually means that the listing agent and the seller are willing to entertain lower prices than they are asking. But sometimes it’s the listing agent that is motivated to sell and the seller may not even know that their agent has advertised the listing as such. This, of course, is an unethical practice and the seller may not be motivated, only testing the market, irritating the listing agent and prompting them to sell no matter what just to get the property off the market.

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If sellers can not go lower on the price without the home falling into a short sale, they will most likely entertain all offers with negotiations or incentives to the buyer in order to facilitate the deal. Having good communication throughout the process can be the key to getting both parties what they want.

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