I read an interesting article for real estate agents today about being aware of the possibility of the use of “nanny cams” in homes that you are showing to your clients, and how that can impact your buyer’s negotiating position when they find the perfect house they “have to have.”
In the past, I have shown the odd home that had cameras inside – perhaps more often than I’ve noticed because sometimes those cameras aren’t very obvious. I’ve never even thought about the fact that someone might have a recording device that allows the seller to hear the conversation that takes place between my buyers and I while touring a home for sale.
It’s typical that while looking at a listed home, the buyer makes a lot of remarks and observations (positive or negative) about the home to their real estate agent.
I always encourage my clients to “talk to me” about the house we’re looking at while we’re walking through it. This allows me to get their immediate feedback about what they are liking and not liking. I usually take notes, as this is valuable information to me as I continue to research potential properties for my clients.
Typically, as a buyer, you know it’s the right home from the moment you walk through the front door. It’s like listening to a hit song for the first time – you only need to hear a few bars of the song before you know it’s going to be a hit.
Often buyers are particularly vocal and enthusiastic when we discover the perfect home for them. Not only do they let me know how much they like it, they find little to know fault with it as we continue walking through it. Sometimes they even tell me that whatever it takes, they “have to have it.”
If a seller hears those comments, think of how detrimental that is to the buyer’s negotiating position!
So, although I would bet that only a very small percentage of homes have nanny cams or some sort of recording device, I’ve got a new rule when showing real estate to my buyers. If you think you absolutely love the house, and will pay anything to get it, keep those thoughts to yourself until we get back into the car and can talk about.
I want the opportunity to negotiate hard for your best price, so let’s not lose that opportunity by giving away buying signals on the seller’s nanny cam.
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