I'd really check with your realtor to see if this is needed in your market. Biggest incentive is to price the house right from the beginning. For us furniture and appliances have always been negotiable. We did leave a large Cal King bed and armoire in our last house rather than risk having the movers damage the walls getting it out of the house. It was a dated style that we no longer wanted and would have ended up at the consignment store so giving it to buyers wasn't a huge loss.

Honestly an incentive such as furniture or gift cards would be unlikely to sway me when it comes to a home purchase. Those kinds of things are built into my budget. Cash is king. I suppose it depends on price range for a house though. Those purchasing a first house might be influenced by furniture or gift cards.

Agree with rrah, cash is incentive I have seen. For example, closing cost assistance to the buyer. Also, back in the '80s when the market was slow some sellers offered higher commissions or cash bonus to the buyer's agent.

Thanks for the input. I tend to attract first time home buyers.

Incentives are more important to a first time buyer stretching to buy than experienced buyers with plenty of cash.

I have given things to buyers in the past, a picture, a bed set, a lawn tractor. But, that was because I didn't need them and it was really more trouble to move them than give them away.

Clean house, fresh paint ...

We left the basic lawn care stuff because we no longer needed it, and the spare tiles for future repairs.

Interesting Comments-Thanks-I will probably leave functional furniture hoping it will save me 1k or 1.2 k.

I once included a $1000 bonus to the Agent who brought a seller who closed the deal before a certain date I listed. The agent collected on that.

Thanks for the answers!

Lily'smom, thanks for the long answer!

A Home Warranty, which I was originally against. Cost $475.

I know that leaving furniture almost NEVER works but...

I know someone who left all of their furniture. The house was not an entry level house in their area (500K) but the it was the buyer's first house so they wanted the (mostly outdated) furniture.

They left almost all of their furniture (they were moving about 2000 miles away) so they did not need to sell/give away/have it picked up. In fact they slept in their same bed the day before closing.

But I'm sure this is a very unusual situation.

As a realtor, selling bonuses have never swayed me or had me sell a home I would not have sold otherwise. I try to help my buyers find the best house for them. If the seller us giving extra monew to the sgent, then it would have been better to give it to the buyer instead. Paying closing costs, giving a redecoratingvalliwance, or something like that is usually better for a seller to do.

I wouldn't try to sway a buyer to a different house just because I would make a few thousand more.To be honest, the first time I actually notice the commission is when I am writing an offer.

I know I am not alone in this.

I will probably leave functional furniture

I hope you mean "offer functional furniture" and you don't mean that you'll just surprisingly leave stuff in the house when you move out that they might have to dispose of.

When we were trying to sell my mother's beautiful condo in the middle of the recession, in a very hard hit area (suburb of Toledo), offering her excellent quality, excellent condition furnishings did the trick. We did take a huge loss on the unit but at least we got it off my hands after 3 years on the market.

I doubt that it was the furniture that prompted the offer.

ncrealestateguy, it might have helped to land the deal (but no way to know for sure, keeping in mind that there were other units in the same complex available). The buyer was a physician who worked part time at the local hospital and part time in another town where her family was based --she is using the condo as living quarters when doing her stints in Toledo and was happy to not have to furnish it.

The last home we purchased the seller left a lot of furniture. He didn't tell us he was going to leave it, we were delighted to inherit his beautiful items. He left flat screen tv's,5 front porch rockers, large urns, ect. I would never be swayed by incentives. I care about other things, gift cards, furniture, ect. doesn't mean anything to me when making such a large purchase. I have all the furniture I need so it would not sway me in the least.

Incentives did not entice us when we were buyers. 2 things interested us. We were looking for a specific type of home(older, 100yrs or more. built ins, moldings,etc.) and price. When we looked at our present home, the buyers were offering/left the yard tractor, W&D, floor to ceiling mirror in the bathroom, and they tried to sell us an ornate parlor stove, which they left for us hooked up and ready to go. Didn't care about those items. Price, price, price and specifics to the house. That is what mattered.

Best incentive- and the only- that ever swayed me- was a very comprehensive home warranty policy on systems/appliances, on a 20 year old home. I can't remember what the sellers paid for it, but it was a nice little piece of comfort. I ended up using it on a wonky HVAC system, and it really paid off.

I have seen sales pitches where, for a full price offer, certain furniture was conveyed. Eh? Never swayed me. Furniture is a loss-leader, as it's basically worthless once off the showroom. No way would I base my offer price, based on furniture.

Caveat: Vacation homes often come with existing furniture. As long as the market value isn't increased, that can be a win.

I was happy to get one of our homes freshly painted (neutral beige), I ultimately repainted my own colors, but the fresh paint meant I could take a while getting around to it. Another home the seller left all appliance (including washer and dryer), which was nice.

I never heard of getting an incentive. Well, other than reduce the price, right??? In this house, I asked if they'd leave the washer and dryer. Answer was no. It would have been nice, but none of that would ever be a deal breaker. Besides, I can buy a fresh set without any pre-owned equipment abuse!

Frankly, I can't think of an incentive..either I love the house unconditionally lol(which is quite stupid but that's how I am), or I don't..if I do I'll do everything to get it, and no incentives..(of course I'll ask for important repairs..all the other things-I most likely won't ask at all..or ask but with very modest hopes..I was extremely happy when the sellers left the huge amazing mirror over the fireplace(I didn't know then it comes with the house anyway unless it's excluded) but if they would decide to take it-which would be a huge hassle and probably would require to repair the drywall if not replace it-I'd be sad but buy the place nevertheless)..if I don't-I won't take anybody's time..it's not fair. Love the place? Great. Make an offer. Not sure? Then don't

We're listing our home soon and we've decided to offer two incentives - I do not expect either to sway a prospective buyer but it's just a little add-on and one less thing for them to worry about.

The first is a home warranty - they may not need it since the roof is 4 years old, both HVAC are 7, the water heater is 1 and the kitchen appliances are 8. But for $500 it's just one less thing for a buyer to worry about.

We have a swimming pool with a separate hot tub and we contract with our pool company for weekly cleaning and maintenance. We plan on opening the pool in April so that prospective buyers can see it and we'll prepay the cleaning and maintenance through mid-September and include pool closing. Again no one will buy our house because of that - but - if the buyer is inexperienced with pool care again - it's may offer a little reassurance.

Maire

maire_cate, those are thoughtful incentives that any buyer would appreciate. Make sure to research your home warranty as many of them today are not as comprehensive as their marketing indicates. You want to offer a warranty that has a good reputation and not one that will just collect your premium and not follow through with claims.

As to incentives to the agents - I never have sold a house based on an incentive to the agent and I have been a full-time career agent for over 35 years. I would rather see the incentive dollars go to the buyer and if you are talking about $500 - it just isn't worth it (IMO). As others have said, price it right and make the house clean, well organized and appealing - that is the best incentive you can offer.