Sellers Can Reveal What Makes Their House A Home

A new online forum gives buyers some insider insights from the soon-to-depart owners

Lew Sichelman
United Feature Syndicate

WASHINGTON - Real estate agents' desire to keep buyer and seller apart often prevents current owners from directly influencing how potential new owners see their homes and neighborhoods.

Now, a new online tool gives sellers a way to add their insight and emotions to their listings, and provides would-be buyers with more information on which to base their decisions.

Point2 Agent allows sellers to enter their thoughts about their properties onto their agent's website under a dedicated section. That, said the software's creators, gives consumers a degree of depth that only interaction with the seller can provide.

"In the past, a buyer rarely had an opportunity to pick the owner's mind and listen to how he felt about the home, the neighbors and the community," said Joy Costello, a Re/Max agent in Las Vegas who responded positively to the new technology. "Now, we can offer them the ability to get a true feel about a property that is of interest to them, directly from the owners and in their own words."

Brendan King, chief operating officer of Point2 Technologies (www.point2.com), said the feature reflects consumer demand for more involvement in the process. The software "gives homeowners a new opportunity to differentiate their homes and empowers buyers with a connection to the owner that they never had before," he said.

In one example provided by the company, the seller of a $175,000 house in the Fort Worth area offered a "few of our favorite things," including sitting on the backyard deck and watching the fireflies and butterflies, soaking in the hot tub and a space for children away from the adults.

In another listing, this one for a $1.5-million property in a rural town, the seller pointed out that the house is in a community where "neighbors still practice the time-honored tradition of knowing your name and pitching in to help when it's needed."