What to Say on a Seller Walkthrough (LIVE at the Property)

In this live seller walkthrough, Nathan Payne (buyer/agent) meets with the homeowner (Speaker C) and a partner (Speaker B) to discuss purchasing the property. Nathan emphasizes a low‑pressure, options‑based negotiation style, offering the seller choices between cash sale and listing. The seller reveals recent lowball offers of $300k–$350k, a desired price over $400k, and a Zillow estimate of $487k. Property details include 1,222 sq ft, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, a full garage, and recent upgrades (new water heater, furnace, central AC). The seller estimates $20k in material costs for rehab, excluding labor. Timeline preferences target a mid‑April closing, aligning with an upcoming estate sale expected to net $7k–$10k. Commission and representation are discussed, with the seller’s agent possibly receiving 3%–6% and the buyer’s partner requiring an 8% gross margin. The conversation also covers the condition of cabinets, flooring, and other cosmetic issues, and the seller’s willingness to clean and prepare the house for a quick sale.
Chapters
So I'm gonna sit down with him and kind of negotiate it out. Like, not like, hey, this is where we need to be, but like show him his options, because that's kind of how I like to talk to people. Like, bro, you don't have to sell this thing to cash, or you can get way more if you list it. I just like to give people options so I feel like we're not pressuring at all. Yeah, you do the same thing? Yeah.
So it's like, so we do our direct marketing as well, but I mean, for us, we just can't buy enough to, you know, keep all the money moving. Uh, I think I told you a little bit, like, Reggie's got a quarter billion dollars to move, and so we just have to keep money moving because you can't That's crazy.
So that's why I kind of told him, it's like, dude, all these other people are lowballing you. Like, they can't compete with what we can do, and we'll take it tight.
I need 8% gross margin on the money, and that's all I need.
Yeah, so, so, uh, I'll kind of sit down— I was going to sit down with him and break it down if he wanted to see his options, um, but really just got to look and see what you would be at, and then we can kind of discuss where, where you're at, and we'll see if we can get it lower.
Yeah, no, that works for me.
How you doing?
Good, how you doing?
My name's Nathan, I was texting you. Is it okay for us to come in?
Yeah.
So we all work together, he buys and we kind of went through shopping, looking around.
Well, I had a porter duty here. Oh, so you're just down here for, uh, to clear this out and sell it? Right.
So are you putting on Facebook Marketplace?
All kinds of stuff, but I have an estate sale in 2 weeks. Okay. So it's all handled. It sounds good.
Yeah, I bet it's been a lot of work though.
Oh, it was up to the ceiling, it was horrible. The garage is absolutely packed full. How was their garage? Park back there.
Yeah, yeah, if you don't mind, just take a look around, you know, honestly.
And then this is my real estate agent if you want to— okay, any kind of offers, have to go speak to him.
Are you, um, did you already sign with him and everything? Okay, so you probably ran your offers by, um, like that you received from him already. Has he thought about just listing it? Like, okay, is that, is that what you think?
We're gonna decide that in a couple weeks. Okay, when I get the estate sale done. And we'll find out. I'm doing one thing at a time.
Yeah, yeah.
I haven't been— I let one group in here, actually two groups in here, to see it when it was all— yeah, up to here. And I think that the offers reflected that.
What did, uh, if you don't mind, do you know what they offered just so we don't like—
$300,000 and $350,000. Okay, we were like not even close. Hell no.
Yeah. Okay, so you, um, obviously we'll make our offer, but I don't want to offend you or the agent. Do you have an idea of like—
oh, over $400,000 for sure.
$400,000? Cash?
I mean, Zillow says it's worth $487,000. Okay. So, you know.
Yeah, I guess, you know.
But that is all fixed up and pretty.
Yeah, you know how it goes.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've sold houses before, so. And fixed up houses, so.
Have you thought about fixing this one up yourself?
Absolutely.
You've explored all your options, huh?
Well, we're working on it. You guys, you contacted me, and why not?
We might as well, right? So you're saying, like, if anyone were to come in and say, hey, don't even worry about the stuff, we'll take it as is. And they gave you, you know, let's just say $380,000 or $400,000, you'd say, no, I'm going to get the estate sale done. Is there like a price where— I don't even know what we're going to see now, so I'm just curious, like, is there somewhere it's like, hey, I don't even need to do the estate sale if you guys can buy it right now and you take everything and you junk it or sell it yourself?
Don't junk it because it's all brand new. Okay. We bought everything off of— I mean, there's $10,000 worth of brand new stuff here. Oh, wow.
So then you're probably thinking like, hey, you want to do the estate sale?
I'm going to do the estate sale. I was cleaning— I'm cleaning it out. After the estate sale, I'll think about selling. So if you want to give an offer, that's fine. We can maybe even have it all settled by then.
Yeah, yeah.
That's my agent.
He's— that's helpful.
A really nice guy. So anyway, living room, dining room. Construction, including the roof on it. So these are the original cabinets.
I don't think I've ever seen those before.
Yeah, they're metal cabinets. Oh yeah, you've seen these before? Yeah, the next door neighbor has them brand new. And I actually had— this house was all wallpapered with wallpaper floors and everything when I bought it in 1991.
Common in the subdivision. It was like a thing in the subdivision. Like, I don't know why, because we've done a couple in here and they all have these type of cabinets.
You don't see them very often, but I, um, I painted them did the squiggles on it to match the wallpaper that you can see here. But I've taken down the wallpaper I put up now and started working on it. But, um, brand new water heater, not even a week old. Great furnace, um, blasts you out of here. So we get 115 degrees out of the air vents, stuff too. So yeah, and I've had it inspected. There's something, you know, nothing serious. Yeah, but there's some things with the electrical, which is right here. Yeah, new electrical. Yeah, well, yeah, it just is, um, using new blocks. You can smoke— no swamp cooler, took it out. It's got air conditioning, got central air condenser on the side of the house over here. Okay, um, took it out, so that will need— that hole would need to be covered over, but it has a pillow up in it. Well, since you get some Home Depot.
Yeah, just seal it off.
Did have a hot wood burning stove in the living room, just took it out last Saturday. Okay.
Um, nobody—
I used it once, and with the wear, with the, um, restrictions on burning, it's easier to put in one of those insert things. Okay. So that's that. So this used to be a Tall closet. The tall closets, take it out, put the fridge in there. It opens up the kitchen a lot. Okay. First bedroom. It needs trim, it needs closet doors, it needs baseboards, all that. Kitchen needs to be redone and then floors need to be redone.
Since you've flipped quite a few houses you're saying. What do you think our rehab on this to get it to?
Probably $20,000. $20,000 to do without— that's just on materials, not labor. Um, half bath, you can open and look at it again if not, but a full bath needs some work. And you probably keep on for a while, you know, got a lot now. Yeah, closet used to be right here.
There's 2 closets, and I think, um, the closet on the back bedroom made a different way.
I took it around so there's double closets here, and there's an extra large closet in the bedroom there. So I did some work on the— there's a hole in Oh man, I just saw that after I need some work.
Nice.
That's it, remember, after I need some work. Yeah, so you're looking—
you got the estate sale 2 weeks, what is that? That'll bring us into, um, April.
Yeah, and then Easter's on Sunday, and, um, yeah, we're not having a sale on Easter, of course.
Yeah, day of rest, and you're gonna go to rest.
I guess.
Um, so, you know, obviously you guys are just going to talk it out and see what works best.
Okay.
You know, it's interesting. You could— obviously he's gonna— is he getting like 6% of the commission?
Oh God, no, no, no.
Okay, 3? 3?
Okay.
Because usually what we do is if, uh, if an agent, like, you know, since we're not really represented, we just say, hey, can you represent us in the transaction? That way they're able to— yeah, because we're not represented. Okay, so that saves you, you know, 3— well, it depends if you, you know, to pay 2, 2.5, 3%.
I want to make sure it gets paid. Yeah, yeah, and I'll make sure that happens.
Good, good.
Okay, and, uh, whatever it turns out to be. He's also doing my estate sale. Oh yes, he does both, don't he? But yeah, he does. They do the estate sale and the whole thing. So this has 1,222 square feet, about 3 bedrooms, bath and a half, detached car garage on a quarter of an acre.
And then you said the garage, you know, it's full.
Yeah, it's packed to the gills. Okay, brand new stuff.
So I signed it for you.
Yeah, swimming pool yesterday. There was two of them.
I'm excited to kind of see what you— what kind of money you'll make at the estate sale. It'll probably be pretty good.
He said $7,000 to $10,000.
Yeah, from all the stuff in here.
So we'll see. That'll work.
Well, um, do you need to see anything else?
It's really a simple little house. It's simple.
It seems like it's cosmetic.
It's all cosmetics. Well, yeah, even the floors.
You got to do— obviously the bathrooms will be rehabbed, kitchens, but other than that, that's it.
Paint and clean.
Just some painting and cleaning. And all the baseboards need to be replaced.
And yeah, these are the old ones.
I pulled them out. Um, do you guys usually get brand new doors too?
Yeah.
They need it. Yeah.
Do the decorative doors.
Oh yeah.
Is there anything that's like, uh, would set us apart from other offers? Is there something like timeline? Is there—
it's just—
is it just the price? And then—
well, I had the two offers and I said no way, and I haven't done it, even talking since.
Okay, but nothing other than if you can get the price you want and close? Is it like a close by the end of April?
Is it close mid?
You have an idea?
I'd rather have it mid rather than later. Okay.
So if we can get something done mid-April, work with him, get it all—
I mean, you guys put the offer in within a minute, and I mean, we might have it all wrapped up in the next 2 weeks, you know?
Yeah, yeah. Worst thing out, you might even be able to get out of here sooner.
Right after, yeah, that'd be great. I would not complain about that.
Yeah, yeah, I know.
But I'll have it all cleaned up, the windows washed, and all that good stuff. Yeah, yeah, I've got your text message.
Listen, we won't offend you with one of those low, lowball offers. Don't even worry about it. It's not even worth it.
I waste your time and money. Well, thanks for your drive down here. I appreciate you letting us come in. No problem. Have a nice trip. We'll see you.
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