Delivering On a Promise

As agents who navigate the intricate dance of home selling while managing client’s expectations and mental health, it’s crucial to remember that every family member plays a role in the process, especially the children. There is no shortage of agent advertising promising to serve the home seller’s family. Still, often our focus is only on the adult members of the family when it comes to our meetings and consultation. My wife and I were home-schooling parents, and we were intentional in incorporating our children into each life decision and process that we encountered so that our children would have an example of how to navigate life as they entered adulthood. Our children are now adults (or so they tell us) and are having children of their own. Recently one of our daughters thanked us for making sure that they were part of our lives and not just the luggage. 

Start with Inclusion

It’s easy to overlook the little ones when discussing market dynamics or staging strategies. However, keeping kids in mind as you assist their parents is an important part of a holistic approach to client care. Manifesting a tangible example of the promises we made to the client as they agreed to align with us as their agent is important.  One way is to help coach the parents into managing their childs expectations and fears.

For the adult seller, they have lived in their home for 7-8 years, and its now time to move.  There is planning, calling, budgeting, searching, and stress.  For a child, this home has been where their adventures happened, where they have hidden from storms, convalesced from illness or injury, and found to be a refuge from the school bully or fears of the day. Some children may be excited about the idea of a new school, new friends, and a new adventure, while others will show resilience and not share their fears.  

Engage Them in the Process

Children can be wonderfully enthusiastic helpers if given the chance. Encourage your clients to involve their kids in staging their rooms or choosing which toys to pack up last. This not only makes them feel valued but also helps lighten the mood and can even make your staging more appealing to prospective buyers. 

Many years ago I attended a workshop by an instructor named Sean Carpentered who introduced the topic of a “Kids Listing Agreement”.  This concept really resonated with me and I adopted it immediately. The idea is to create a one-page, simple agreement with the children to keep their house clean and help mom and dad sell the house. In return, the agent will provide a gift of treat when the home goes to settlement. I use gift cards for game stores, sports stores or other entertaining things for the children. The concept has been a big hit.  At the time of the listing appointment, I ask the parents if the would like to include their children for just a few minutes.  I show the parents the “agreement” and tell the parents that part of my promise to them is to ensure that I am helping them look out for more than just the final sales price.  https://heyzine.com/flip-book/566d36986f.html 

The parents are reminded that their children may have some hidden anxiety about strangers coming into their house, about the moving process, and more. In the five minutes I spend with the parents and their children, I share how exciting it is to go on the moving journey, meet cool new friends, and explore the next chapter in their story.  Then I ask the children what questions they have about the process, how lockboxes work, what their home will look like online, etc… 

For younger children, you can easily create coloring books or coloring pages resembling the new community that they children are moving to using Canva’s AI tool “Magic Design”.  https://heyzine.com/flip-book/bfdcaa960e.html

Highlight the Emotional Benefits

Moving is a significant change for kids, who are often full of emotional challenges. As an agent, you can guide parents on how to frame the move as a positive change. Discuss the fun aspects of the new home or neighborhood and suggest they involve the kids in choosing things like room colors or new decorations. This helps children transition from focusing on what they’re losing to what they’re gaining.  Provide a community report from www.narrpr.com about the community that the home seller is moving to.  These reports show a lot of useful insight into the community that the parent can use to discuss the new community with their children. 

Celebrate Milestones Together

Encourage families to celebrate each step forward in the sale process. Whether it’s the first showing, an offer, or the final closing day, make each of these steps a family event. This not only creates a positive association with the moving process but also helps build a lasting relationship between you and your clients. You may even want to send little gifts to the parents to share with their children for each of these milestones along the way so that the entire family can celebrate together. Things like a pizza night can go a long way. 

By treating kids as active participants in the selling process, you foster a more inclusive and enjoyable experience for the whole family. This not only eases the transition for the children but also positions you as a thoughtful and considerate agent—a reputation that can lead to referrals and repeat business down the road. Something as simple as a plan to incorporate the entire family into the process will surely set you apart from competing agents trying to get the client’s business and will give your clients something unique to share about you when they give your name their friends and family who may be looking to also sell. 

So, the next time you’re listing a family home, remember: a little extra attention to the young ones can make a big difference in how smoothly the process runs. After all, happy kids often mean happy clients!

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Note:  This article was originally written for, and appeared in, The Real Estate Specialist magazine.