My brother's comment about a house listing made me feel weird about my job

We were having a beer on his porch last weekend, and I mentioned a house I'm selling that needs a lot of work. I said the usual agent thing, 'It's a great opportunity for the right buyer.' My brother just looked at me and said, 'Yeah, but you're not telling them the foundation crack is from the old oak tree that's still there, right? You just call it 'character' and move on.' He wasn't even mad, just stating a fact. It hit different because he's not in the business, he's just a normal guy. It made me think about all the little things we smooth over with fancy words. That house is listed at $425,000, and the tree removal alone would cost maybe $8,000. Where's the line between selling a house and hiding its problems? How do you guys handle it when your job asks you to spin something you know is a real issue?

3 comments

3 Comments

wyatt_jones2mo ago

That oak tree is a known issue the inspection report will clearly show anyway.

emma_mitchell5d ago

So you're saying the inspection report will "clearly show" that tree issue... but that's assuming people actually read the report, right? Most buyers skim it and get hung up on minor stuff like a loose gutter while missing the big problems. And even if it's "clearly shown", what's the real cost down the line? That oak's roots could be messing with the foundation or sewer line, stuff that doesn't show up on a basic inspection. @zarapalmer is spot on about the emotional investment thing... by the time they see that report, they've already started picking paint colors and imagining their kids playing in that yard. They'll rationalize it away because they're attached. Plus, sellers can always toss in a credit for a partial removal or trimming, which just kicks the can down the road.

zarapalmer2mo ago

But that report comes after they're already emotionally invested and under contract.