“Ready, Willing, and Able”

“Ready, Willing, and Able” 

Ready– Is the buyer truly ready to make the purchase? Have they looked at enough properties to know what they want? Are there lingering questions that are preventing the buyer from moving forward with the purchase? One of the hallmarks of a buyer that is not ready to make the purchase is that they continually ask about other properties or are raising objections about the subject property. A buyer that is “ready” will either have done or will be doing the legwork.

Willing– Is the buyer exhibiting the signs of someone who is eager to make a purchase? Are they talking about what they can do with “my” property? Is the buyer under pressure from a spouse or partner to make the purchase, or not make the purchase? “I like the property, but let me talk to my wife (or husband)” is a sign that you may be dealing with a willing buyer, but one that may not be ready or able. There are also plenty of people that are willing to purchase property for sale, but do not have the financial wherewithal to act on it. There are probably many more buyers in the “willing” category than those who are in the “ready” or “able”.

Able– When a buyer has identified “the one” and they are properly motivated, the next step is proving that they are able to perform. There are several situations where the buyers are very interested in a property, they are ready to make the purchase, in some cases they might even have come to terms with the seller, but they might not be able to perform due to a lack of funds. There are many reasons why a buyer may not be able to perform, some common ones are: waiting on another property to close to be able to use the proceeds, waiting on funds or proceeds from the sale of a business, or personal property.

A buyer that is “ready, willing and able” will be able to provide sufficient earnest money, willing to come to terms with the seller and will follow through on the transaction.This article should spur some thought for buyers, agents, or sellers regarding property sales process, and that they will be able to take steps to ensure a smoother and successful transaction.