Imagine this scenario: a potential buyer views your home and falls in love with it straight away. They’re enthusiastic, motivated and ready to make an offer. There’s just one catch – they haven’t put their own property on the market yet.
What do you do?
If you’re like many sellers, your instinct might be to politely decline and wait for a “proceedable” buyer. But that decision could cost you the perfect sale.
The Common Mistake Sellers Make
It’s completely understandable why sellers prefer buyers who are already on the market or, even better, chain-free. The logic seems sound: fewer links in the chain means less that can go wrong, a quicker completion timeline and more certainty overall.
The fear is real too. You worry about longer wait times whilst your buyer sells their property, the uncertainty of whether they’ll actually achieve a sale and the dreaded possibility of everything falling through months down the line. We completely get it.
On paper, it makes perfect sense to prioritise “ready to proceed” buyers. But we’ve seen how this strategy can backfire. And it’s happening more often than you might think.
Real Example From Roe & Co
Recently we marketed a beautiful home on Lancashire Way in Horwich. A buyer viewed the property and absolutely loved it. They could see themselves living there, and they were ready to make it happen.
The only “problem”? They weren’t on the market yet.
Now, many sellers in this situation would have thanked them politely and moved on to the next viewing, hoping for someone further along in their property journey. But this seller took a different approach.
The buyers immediately instructed Roe & Co to sell their property. Within weeks, we’d professionally photographed and marketed their home, generated strong interest and agreed an offer. Not long after, they’d their offer accepted on the Lancashire Way property!
The result? Two delighted sellers: the original Lancashire Way homeowner who found their perfect buyer, and the buyer’s property seller who achieved a quick sale and acquired their dream home.
This sounds like a one-off incident, but it isn’t. This exact scenario has played out multiple times for us over the past 12 months.
Why Motivated Buyers Are Often the Best Buyers
There’s something special about a buyer who’s found “the one”. When someone views your property and knows immediately that it’s their dream home, they become incredibly motivated to make it happen.
These buyers are often MORE committed than those already on the market, not less. How come? Because they have a clear goal in mind (securing your property) and they’ll move heaven and earth to achieve it.
With the right estate agent, getting their property professionally marketed and sold can happen quickly. Professional photography, marketing and strategic pricing mean properties can go from “just listed” to “offer agreed” in a matter of weeks, sometimes even days.
Motivated buyers who love your property are often more reliable than you might think. They’re not casually browsing properties for sale with no real intention to move. They’ve found what they want, and they’re ready to take action.
How Roe & Co Makes This Work
The key difference is having an estate agent who can move quickly and effectively to sell your buyer’s property.
At Roe & Co, we take a proactive approach. When a motivated buyer views a property but hasn’t sold their own yet, we can get their home marketed professionally within days to generate interest quickly.
We carefully manage the chain, keeping all parties informed and progressing both sales at the same time. Our experience means we can spot genuine, motivated buyers versus time-wasters. There’s a clear difference between someone who’s casually interested and someone who’s ready to instruct an agent immediately after viewing your property.
The personal service we provide makes for a smooth coordination when you’re dealing with connected transactions. Nothing gets lost in translation because our tight team is overseeing everything.
Don’t Limit Your Options
Here’s our honest advice: don’t automatically dismiss buyers simply because they haven’t got a property on the market yet.
With the right agent managing the process, these buyers can become your quickest and most committed sale. They’re not trying to negotiate you down because they’re only mildly interested. They want YOUR property specifically, and that motivation drives the entire process forward.
Trust your agent’s judgement on buyer quality. We’ve been doing this for over 25 years, and we can tell the difference between genuine interest and tyre-kickers.
Ready To Sell Your Home?
If you’re thinking about selling your property, don’t limit yourself to a small pool of “perfect” buyers. Let us help you assess ALL potential buyers and identify who’s genuinely motivated to purchase your home.
Book your free valuation today and discover what your property could achieve. You can also contact us in your preferred way to get the ball rolling.