The Danger of Listing Your Property Too Low.....

When we teach classes on short sales we say, "throw logic out the window when you are working with the banks."

Keep in mind the current methodology used by banks in determining value before deciding on a listing price for your client's property. Generally, the bank(s) will send a real estate agent and/or an appraiser to the property to take some pictures, walk through and around the property and provide some comparable sales in the area. Sounds like a reasonable way to determine value, but the bank is forgetting one thing. This property now has a stigma. It's a short sale. The buyer pool for a short sale is significantly smaller. There is no mechanism to capture what this does to the value of the property except listing history. You can't compare this house to the identical one next door that sold for $400,000 but wasn't a short sale. But you have to because the banks do. If the bank determines that the value is $400,000 they will take less, but not a whole lot less. Listing the property at $325,000 because you are trying to attract interest will only get you a low offer that the bank will reject and you have wasted your time and more importantly your client's time which is running out.

Right now, as a listing agent, you need to work within the "realities" as they exist within the banks. Identify market value without taking into consideration the material fact that this is a short sale and list the property accordingly. If after 3-4 weeks you are not getting any offers or traffic then reduce the price. Maybe the banks will come to their senses and look at the listing history once you do get an offer. It is up to the person(s) negotiating the transaction to help the banks come to the appropriate conclusion.