Selling a house can be tough in today’s market, and there are many things you need to plan and consider. From getting your house ready for sale to marketing it to finding a buyer, it’s a long and hard process. Although there are many great buyers out there, not all of them are good! Unfortunately, there are plenty of unreliable and untrustworthy buyers out there, and it can be hard to navigate through them.

From scammers and thieves to dishonest buyers that will ghost you, there are many odd characters. If you’re looking to get a property off your hands but aren’t sure how to avoid dishonest buyers, you’ve come to the right place! Here’s everything you need to know about selling a house for cash and finding a legit buyer. Follow this helpful guide and sell your house to a reputable buyer!

Stay on the safe side with professionals

A great way to make sure you’re working with a reliable buyer is to talk to professional home buyers. Every town, state, and county has a reputable real estate company looking to take that property off your hands while offering you a great deal. These companies understand the difficulties of buying, repairing, and selling, so they know the struggle.

If you haven’t had luck with independent buyers and are looking to make a quick sale, professional companies are the way to go. All good Arlington based home buyers know how to handle a deal in a timely fashion and will pay in cash. Your property and sale are in good hands with these companies, so do your research to find a reputable one near you!

Check the buyer’s motives

If you’re choosing to work with one on one buyers, one of the easiest ways to know whether your cash buyer is legit or not is to ask them. Asking your potential buyers what their intentions are for the property will tell you a lot about whether or not you can trust them. While you’re showcasing the property, ask them what their plans are and why they want to buy the house.

House flippers may lowball your price a bit, but they’re always a safe bet for a decent sale. Independent buyers may seem like the riskier sale, but never judge a book by its cover. Always start your search for a reputable buyer by asking what their intentions are, to be safe.

Sees the property

A great way to screen your buyers for reputability is to have them physically come to check out the property. This gives both the buyer and seller a better chance to gauge the situation and each other. As a seller, you want to make sure your buyer makes an appearance at the property for a few reasons.

Meeting in person not only helps you scope out your buyer but also helps you negotiate with them. The buyer will need to assess the value of the property and adjust their initial offer upon seeing it. Meeting in person allows you to discuss the contract and risks so that each party has full transparency. If your buyer can’t come in person, if they’re willing to do whatever they can to be transparent, you’re on the right track.

They are overly interested

Another way to spot a suspicious real estate shopper is if they come off as too eager to get the house. As a seller, you can expect a bit of a dance while you negotiate with your buyer until you finally get the sale. If your buyer seems too eager off the bat for the property, or too anxious to close the deal, there may be something sinister hiding under the surface.

If your buyer offers large amounts of cash that they don’t look like they have, and they seem too good to be true, they probably are. If your buyer wants to speed through the process and skip some of the necessary paperwork, they might be looking to scam you. Be on the lookout for overly eager buyers.

Too little interest

On the other hand, if your buyer shows too little interest or is not invested enough in the sale to be present, this can also spell disaster. Your buyer should display a healthy amount of interest in closing the deal if they’ve expressed an interest in buying your property.

An uninterested buyer will start coming up with excuses, become flaky, or stop contacting you altogether. If you notice a change in your buyer’s mood or interest after you’ve discussed the price or payment, you may have to abort the mission. If your buyer is less present, hard to get a hold of, or unresponsive after settling on a house, you might want to take your business elsewhere.

Limited contact

Good communication between buyer and seller is key throughout the process to make the sale happen. From initial contact to finalizing the paperwork and handing over the keys, you need to be able to get in contact with your buyer. Whether they’re an individual party or a company, your buyer should reach out to you with a legitimate email or phone number.

The company should have a reputable website with corresponding details to what they have contacted you with. You should be able to visit their website and get all the necessary information and validation you need. An individual should leave you with contact information that is working and up to date. If a buyer is unavailable, unresponsive, or refuses to communicate, you’d better steer clear of them.

So there you have it! Selling a house or property is hard, but sometimes finding a legit buyer is even harder! If you can, make things easier on yourself and work with a reputable company to get the property off your hands. When negotiating with buyers, find out their intentions for the property to see if they’re legit or not. Make sure your buyers come to see the property to get a better idea of them and to seal the deal.

Be wary of overly interested or anxious buyers, as this can be a scam. On the flip side, be on the lookout for uninterested buyers who lose steam quickly. Last but not least, if the buyers are hard to find, contact, or communicate with, you’re better off taking your business elsewhere. There are plenty of future homeowners out there ready to pay cash for your property, you just have to find them!