Quite often, the easy-out, go-to approach for marketers is fear of loss. If you don’t buy this widget by that date you’re going to miss out, be doomed, lose the game. It’s kind of similar to being in the front of a long line at Booster Juice for the first time. Your heart rate kicks up a notch as you try to make sense of what you’re going to order before the line turns on you!
The flip side of this of course is having all the time in the world to decide. It doesn’t make a difference if I buy that widget today or in 3 years. I’m not too concerned with its colour, flavour or shape. If we get it great, if not, that’s cool too. The danger with this other end of the spectrum is that eventually, if the widget is necessary, you will have to make a decision under the ‘before its reeeeeally too late’ scenario.
In our REALTOR lives, we see all types. People who have to buy or must sell. Buyers who are thinking about buying or sellers that are kicking around the idea. Sellers that don’t really want to sell but will if the right opportunity came along. The fear of loss will affect all of these people differently. Some will be oblivious to is while others will sweat at the thought.
The fact is, sometimes we as buyers or sellers need the right amount of steering to let us know when the decision we’re contemplating is the right one. When working with a REALTOR, the pressure-filled, buy now or else experience is no fun. It happens out there a lot as it does in any business. Buy this TV, lease this car, purchase those jeans or book this trip.
~ Don’t confuse honesty with pressure ~
As a home buyer or home seller, this is where having a solid, honest rapport with a REALTOR will help. You will want someone who will tell you, as a prospective buyer, when you are standing in the perfect home. Or conversely, when what you think is the perfect home is in fact a bad idea. And sometimes, we have to discuss the “this home won’t last very long” situation. Unfortunately, when working with new clients, it comes off as canned.
This brings us to one particular type of client we will refer to as The Downsizerizer.
This seller/buyer doesn’t need to move now. They have a few years (or more) to think about it. Often one spouse will be further ahead in the process than the other. Fear may play a factor in one or both. A move can be done this year or next or the year after that. The challenge is that often we see people hum and haw about it until well after the decision should have been made.
The Downsizerizer needs to do things on their terms. They want what they want because frankly, they’ve earned it. If you are a Downsizerizer, pressure bounces off of you like a tennis ball off a dump truck. No one can tell you why you should move…you know the what, when and why of your move. And that is completely fair.
Our only advice from what we see daily/weekly/monthly is to consider timing. Sometimes the time to downsize actually is now. Ask your friends and family for their honest advice. Consider your current home and your day-to-day needs and lifestyle demands. Then consider what a move to your ‘downsized home’ would do for your quality of life. Your ability to travel. Your leisure time. Your cleaning and home maintenance obligations.
If a downsize is on the radar but you are not sure what to do, take the first step at least. It is often the most difficult. And no, we won’t apply pressure if you contact us…we are happy to work through the process with you as we have done with so many Downsizerizers in the past!
Thank-you for visiting.
THEbTEAM
Thank-you to Laura Cleffmann for the photo.