Several months ago, I went on a listing appointment and told the truth.  In the real estate business, honesty is not always the best policy if your goal is to get the listing. Sometimes real estate agents misrepresent the value of the home, hoping to get the listing. Once the ink is dry on the listing contract, price reductions are encouraged.

This particular home was lovely, everything had been updated, no detail was overlooked, no expense spared. The only drawback was that the owner had spent thousands of dollars removing his grassy back yard and replacing it with drought resistant plants. Perhaps if this home were in hipper Eagle Rock, it wouldn't’t have been such a negative, but this home is in La Crescenta.  Families move to La Crescenta because it is affordable, has low crime and offers excellent schools.  The likely buyer of this home would not be a retiree, but a family.  Someone who wanted a grassy yard.

I suggested that the owner consider installing a grassy yard. Or at minimum have a landscaper or gardener submit a bid which would show potential buyers how little it would cost to get the grass back.  The owner didn’t want to and thought that a buyer would love his yard (after all he does).



The owner listed the home with another Realtor at the price I recommended. He did not get the estimate and did not get the grassy yard.  Instead of selling quickly, close to asking price or over, it took two months and a substantial reduction.

Small Real Estate World: My buyer's agent, Lisa sold it and her buyer is going to remove the drought tolerant plants and put in a family friendly yard.  Lisa’s clients likely paid $40,000 less for this home because the owner didn’t like the truth.