There’s a helping hand for reluctant sellers

“I know I have to sell, but I hate the whole idea!”

When a client interview opens like this, most real estate agents know they’re in for a certain amount of cheer-leading, hand-holding, and general bucking up. There are many reasons why sellers might dig in their heels at the thought of moving out. Some simply dislike change and disruption. Seniors and long-time home-owners say it feels like closing a chapter of family history.

One of the most common instances of seller reluctance crops up when the owner’s literally forced to down-size. We’re not talking here about empty-nesters envisioning a cute midtown cottage. We’re describing clients who are being driven into an independent

or assisted-living facility by declining health. Or seniors who can no longer manage the housekeeping and gardening chores their current home demands, but deplore the thought  of living “un-surrounded” by their keepsakes, collectibles, and heirlooms.

“With most of my clients,” said Nikki, “I often check the Rolodex for all kinds of recommendations to get the property into marketable shape. Plumbers, electricians, landscapers, you name it. But I have to say that I’ve found only one resource to handle the complicated business of helping sellers cross the barrier when they’d rather not.”

“New Leaf Senior Transitions is a company that might have been invented by anguished offspring who don’t know how to ease their parents into simpler living. Or maybe by real estate agents who know how many small maneuvers it takes to scale a big house down to 900 square feet.”

Staci Zabell, owner of New Leaf, specializes in these small maneuvers. New Leaf helps sellers decide which possessions they can live without and then arranges for the sale or donation of the rejects.

They’ve developed a unique packing system that pares moving costs down to the bone. And best of all, their “check-your-new-floor-plan” innovation encourages distraught sellers to refocus on a future with possibilities.

“In the past,” said Nikki, “these complications and many others, were farmed out to specialists of varying competence. Though it’s not an agent’s job, we always got called in when things went wrong. The arrival on the scene of this comprehensive new service is a boon to reluctant sellers as well as to agents like me." You can find their website at newleafseniortransitions.com, or email Nikki at Nikki@GoldRushRE.com, for more info on New Leaf.