I recently had a conversation with a client who confirmed my impression that the real estate market is sometimes viewed from the wrong perspective.
I'm not talking about a casual buyer who browses listings on weekends out of curiosity. I'm talking about a man who is a medical doctor with a master's degree, the owner of a private polyclinic, financially stable, and fully capable of purchasing any property he desires.
In other words, the type of buyer most sellers would dream of having. . . THE Buyer!
We discussed buying a house and how real estate listings appear today. He told me he quickly noticed the same pattern. . . the same house advertised by multiple agencies, often with different descriptions, different photos, and almost always different prices.
I asked him (I knew the answer, but just wanted to confirm) what he, as a potential buyer, thinks when he sees that.
His answer was very simple:
“First, I wonder what's wrong with that house. Second, I think something is suspicious. And third, I lose the desire to even consider it.”
And this is where we get to something that part of the market still doesn't understand.
Many sellers believe that a property will have greater value if it's advertised by multiple agencies simultaneously. The logic goes . . . more listings mean more chances to sell.
But serious buyers often think completely differently. Buyers with money, experience, and options don't make impulsive decisions. They observe how the property is presented to the market. They look at consistency, communication, strategy, and the overall impression the property creates.
When the same property circulates the vastness of the internet (which remembers everything and forgives nothing) through five or ten listings, with different information and different approaches, for a serious buyer, this often doesn't create a sense of value.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
It raises the question:
Why are so many agencies selling this property? A quick note from experience. . . and not just agencies, but also individuals who are 'just trying to make a quick buck on the side by selling apartments off the books'.
Why isn't the communication consistent?
Is there a problem?
Is the price realistic?
Why do I get the feeling that the property is being “pushed” onto the market?
A paradox. . . In the luxury market segment, this is even more pronounced. . . or is it the perception that it's 'normal' for a more affordable property to be 'prostituted' (over-exposed and devalued), but for a more expensive one, it's 'not proper,' making it stand out?! In my mindset, there's no difference between a cheap or expensive property; each deserves equal attention and approach.
Buyers who can afford almost anything they want aren't just looking for square footage and location. They're buying security, trust, and a SENSE of process quality.
And the perception of value today is a currency, just like the property itself.
That's why the question isn't:
“How many agencies are advertising my property?”
But rather:
“What impression does my property make on the market?”
Because the line between exposure and devaluation is sometimes much finer than we think.
If you're a seller who wants your property to be presented to the market with the attention, strategy, and presentation it deserves . . . contact us.
Because the way a property is presented to the market directly impacts its value in the eyes of buyers.