Every sale has its own strategy. Recently, I worked with sellers who had a very specific timeline: they were hoping to purchase a home in a retirement community out of state where properties rarely become available, and they also had a long-planned trip to Europe coming up. Ideally, they wanted to be under contract before they left.
When timing is tight, I always think a few steps ahead. One of the biggest reasons deals fall apart or slow down is the inspection period. Unexpected issues can lead to renegotiations, repair requests, insurance complications, or in some cases, a contract cancellation that sends the home back on the market.
Before listing the property, I recommended a pre-listing inspection—something many agents skip but which can be extremely valuable when timing matters. The inspection revealed a couple of common and very fixable items: a double tap in the electrical panel and a few cracked roof tiles. Neither issue was major, but both could easily raise concerns for a buyer’s inspector or create complications for a buyer’s insurance approval.
Because we discovered these items early, the sellers were able to address them before the home even hit the market. That meant fewer surprises during the buyer’s inspection and a much smoother negotiation process.
The property went under contract quickly, the inspection period moved forward without complications, and the deal closed in less than 30 days—allowing my sellers to enjoy their European trip without worrying about a transaction back home.
Sometimes the best real estate strategy isn’t reacting to problems but anticipating them before they ever appear.