Sick of wasting your time with people who aren’t serious about buying your house?  By screening your buyers, you can save time and regain control of your home-selling journey.

Have you experienced firsthand how frustrating it is to show your house over and over again only to be disappointed when not one offer comes through.

This can be a common issue, regardless of whether your house is listed with an agent or For Sale By Owner (FSBO).  But thankfully, the solution is simple!

If this is happening to you, then there’s a pretty good chance that you’re spending time with the wrong buyers.

All you have to do is screen buyers before you schedule a showing to be sure they are the right buyer for your home.

How do you know if someone is the right buyer for your home?

Let’s find out…

How Do You Screen a Buyer?

You can screen your buyer by making sure they are 1) interested in your house, 2) able to afford your house, and 3) serious about buying.

Any buyer who doesn’t meet all three of these criteria probably won’t make an offer on your house regardless of whether or not you show it to them.

So rather than scheduling a showing as soon as they contact you, you’re better off taking the time to ask questions and be sure they fit the bill.  Here’s how to do it…

How do you tell if a buyer is interested in your house?

For a buyer to be seriously interested in your house, they have to like the interior, exterior, and also the surrounding neighborhood.

Since most buyers search for their next home online, chances are they already saw photos of your house in your online listing.

As you know, listing photos can only do so much and don’t always do the best job of conveying the true look and feel of your property.  And they certainly don’t tell you much about the neighborhood.

So, the best way to be sure a buyer is truly interested in your house is by asking them to drive by the property before you schedule a showing.

You need to be sure they like not only the house, but also the location.  Even if they like the house, they may not want to live in your specific neighborhood or surrounding area.

Since location isn’t something you can change, it’s better to have the buyers sort this out on their own before you waste your time showing them your house.

How do you know if a buyer can afford your house?

The best way to know if a buyer can afford your house is by requiring a prequalification letter prior to scheduling a showing.

Let’s say your potential buyer plans to finance their home purchase, but they aren’t prequalified for a loan.  How do they know how much money they will be able to spend on their next house?

They don’t.  If the buyers haven’t taken the necessary step of getting prequalified to find out their budget, then how serious can they be?

To avoid wasting your time with buyers who aren’t serious, always ask for a prequalification letter and check it over to be sure they are prequalified for a high enough amount to afford your home.

If a buyer says they are going to pay in cash, you don’t have to take their word for it.  In fact, they may even be bluffing to avoid sending you a prequalification letter.

You can ask them to provide a letter from their bank stating that they have the funds available to purchase your property at the full listing price.

How do you know if someone is a serious buyer?

Aside from being willing to drive by your property and send a prequalification letter, there is another key indication that a buyer is serious…

The final point to discuss with your potential buyer is whether or not they need to sell a house before they could purchase yours.

In some cases, the buyers may be renting or may be prequalified for a second mortgage which means they aren’t relying on selling their current house in order to purchase their next one.

If this is the case, then there’s a really good chance an offer could be right around the corner!

On the other hand, many buyers could be in a position where they have to wait for their current house to sell in order to purchase a new one.

In this situation, it is critical to make sure that their house is already under contract before you consider putting your own home under contract.

Otherwise, you are running the risk of waiting around for their home to sell and missing out on other potential buyers for your home.

Beyond Screening Your Buyers

As you can see, screening your buyers is a great way to cut down on wasted time and increase your chances of getting an offer after a showing.

In addition to screening your buyers, there are several more strategies that you can use to attract serious buyers and offers on your property.

You can pick up a few more of our strategies for free, watch our FREE Webinar: “How to Easily Sell Your House & Keep Your Equity”.

But if you are serious about selling your house as quickly and easily as possible, and you want unlimited support from our exclusive, rigorously-trained staff, then check out The “Your House, Your Equity!” Course here.

P.S. If you want to purchase the course, watch the FREE Webinar for a limited-time offer to buy the course for a significantly lower price!

YOUR House, YOUR Equity

If you found this article helpful, then feel free to check out the rest of what we have to offer here at “Your House, Your Equity!”.

Simply put, it’s our mission to help homeowners like you to sell your house and SAVE YOUR EQUITY!!!

To learn more, check out our main page at www.YourHouseYourEquity.com.