The Walls Have Eyes

by Osman Parvez
Sellers:  Don't do this.
Imagine you're house shopping. You walk into a showing with your Buyer's Agent. It looks pretty good. You start to get excited.  This one is a possibility. Then, you spot the camera.  

How do you feel? 

Where's the trust?
At first, you were thinking about buying the house.  You and your partner were envisioning where you might place your furniture. Now, you're thinking about whether you're actively being monitored. You feel like the seller doesn't trust you. Subconsciously, you can't help but take it personally. It's uncomfortable. 

One of the most important rules for selling a house is to de-personalize it. You want potential buyers to imagine living in the house. Don't distract them with photographs, edgy art pieces, or worse. If they're standing around talking about your awkward family photos, they're not talking about the house. 

The camera?  It's a much more than a distraction

The first problem is that being spied upon potentially compromises negotiation. Luckily, there's an easy solution. Do not discuss negotiation strategy inside the house. Surveillance devices like the one in the photo above are easy to spot. The hidden ones are very difficult to see and they're becoming more common. 

The bigger issue is that a visible and obvious camera compromises trust.  Yes, trust. 

In virtually every high-dollar transaction, in every industry, trust is the critical factor.  It's also easily damaged. Even the perception of misbehavior erodes trust. Once it's gone, it's almost impossible to bring back. Nearly every step of the deal will become more difficult. A lack of trust between buyer and seller massively increases the risk the deal will fall apart.

I understand the reasons that a seller might be tempted to install cameras. There's a risk that people might steal personal possessions or damage things. There's an easy fix for that: Medication, financial records, and any other items too valuable to lose should be secured prior to the first day of showings. 

Buyers and Sellers:  If you want a deal to go smoothly, do things that engender trust. That includes open and clear communication, have reasonable expectations, and being held to your word. When buyers behave in ways that increase trust, the seller will be more willing to accept the offer and, if significant inspection issues arise, they'll be more likely to work with the buyer to address them in a fair manner. When sellers do things to increase trust, it increases the sale price, decreases the time on market, and minimizes the risk that a deal will fall apart. 

Bonus: For a fun look at other marketing gaffe's, check out our other posts labeled staging.

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