Can an Internet savvy teenager sell his parent's home...yet
I just got a request for a home evaluation on my website and usually the first thing I do is to check and make sure the request came from the same person who actually owns the house. In today's case, I didn't really have to go that far because the zip code for the home was not within the Charleston South Carolina real estate market so I decided to call the number left and see if I could be of help in referring the seller to an agent from their area.
The surprise I got was when I asked to speak to "Bob". I was questioned fairly severely about who I was and what did I want. I explained that I was a realtor in Charleston and had a request on my website for a home evaluation but I did not service the area that the house was located in.
The person I was talking to then lightened up, told me he was "Bob's" father and said that his son was probably surfing the Internet and likely had submitted the request. We then joked a bit about not letting his son sell his house without his knowledge with technology being what it is today and what it might be like in the near future with digital signatures and who knows what soon to be common.
A few weeks ago, I got a request for a home evaluation and noticed the house was under contract. I emailed the sender of the request indicating that and the fact that his name and the owner's name were different and suggested that if he was perhaps a neighbor, I'd be happy to do an evaluation for him or to let him know what the final price was for the house in question. I did get a response back saying that he was in fact the buyer and just wanted to know what I thought the house was worth. With a chuckle, I sent an email back saying that it was worth what a ready, willing and able buyer (him) thought it was worth. Which is generally better and more accurate than an appraisal.
Here's the takeaway from these 2 stories. I'll be happy to do a home evaluation for anyone so long as they are the true owner of the property. If the seller simply wants a range based on neighborhood comps, I'll do it via computer. If the seller is serious about selling their property and wants precision, I'd be happy to come and visit the property to see the upgrades and note the condition. No obligation.
One small caveat. I am only accepting listings that have a reasonable to good chance of selling in today's market. I've been very fortunate to have sold a number of listings while many overpriced homes have languished on the market. Taking an overpriced listing just to put a sign in the yard and the listing in the MLS is a recipe for disaster for the seller and good real estate agents today.
While I'm not suggesting you price it so low as to leave money on the table, setting an unrealistically high sales price and expecting a contract isn't likely either. Price reductions are not the objective and while they may be necessary somewhere in the listing process, going into a listing knowing you are simply going to ask for a price reduction in a short time is not good business. A good contract for the best possible price in the shortest possible time and with the least inconvenience is what most sellers want. A smooth closing is the desired result.
Please make sure that you can in fact sell the property when you make the request 