Questions to Ask Your Potential Buyers

Ask questions about what they’re looking for and what type of homes they’ve seen.
 

	Are you planning on buying within the next month or two?
	Have you applied for a mortgage?

If they have not applied for a mortgage suggest a mortgage broker or explain that they will need a mortgage commitment if they find a house they like and want to move fast.

Frequent Questions You Can Expect From Potential Buyers

How long has the house been on the market?
The assumption behind this question is that the longer the house has been on the market, the more ready you will be to deal on the price.  Answer truthfully and, if you are in a hurry, indicate that you would settle quickly and would be amenable to offers that accommodate the timeframe.

How did you arrive at your price?
Simply say you’ve priced according to the comparable sales in your neighborhood and offer to show those to the buyer.

Why are you selling?
This is an attempt to get at how motivated you are to sell.  The more motivated you appear to be, the more the buyer thinks you will take a lower price.  If you are very motivated to sell quickly, indicate that you would be very interested in reasonable offers, which accommodate your timeframe.

Will you take less?
A very blunt question, which deserves a blunt answer.  Respond that you have priced the home according to comparable properties in the area, and that you will consider reasonable offers made in writing by qualified purchasers.

Why are you selling?
The reason for this question could be curiosity or the buyer could be looking to find out if you are willing to share the savings in commission.  It is probably fair for the buyer to expect some savings, since they too, will have to do more work if an agent is not involved

Respond that you think you can sell the home yourself which should save both you and the buyer money.  Be relaxed and have a positive attitude and don’t come on to strong or describe every detail in the house.