How a Brooklyn Park Couple Bought First, Then Sold in the Fall Market

A couple walked into my open house in Brooklyn Park and quietly fell for the home. They had no agent and said they weren’t in a rush. Within days, we wrote an offer, negotiated the price down and some furniture into the deal, and closed with very few inspection issues. Selling their current home came later, in the fall, with limited pricing data and fewer buyers. One price reduction found their buyer. The tradeoff: they likely bought for less and sold for less, and starting the selling conversation earlier could have given them more options.

What were they trying to do?

I was hosting an open house at a beautiful two-story in Brooklyn Park, one of the most expensive homes I’ve sold. A couple came through, and I could tell they were interested. I could also tell they were holding back. We talked through market data, and they left without saying much.

A day or two later, they came back. They didn’t have a Realtor and didn’t explain why. They kept telling me they weren’t in a hurry and didn’t really need to move. Everything else about how they looked at that house said otherwise.

How did we handle the purchase?

The listing agent was from my brokerage, which in Minnesota means dual agency. Before anything else, we walked through what that meant for them so they could decide whether they were comfortable with it.

They connected with a local lender I trust to get their financing in place, and from what I saw, they had a good experience. The home had been on the market for a while, and it was late in the year with no competing offers. That gave them room to negotiate the price down. They also negotiated some of the furniture into the deal, which they really appreciated. The inspection didn’t turn up much, and the purchase went smoothly.

Why didn’t we talk about selling first?

Here’s where I walked a careful line. They had only engaged me on the purchase. They hadn’t asked me to sell their current home, and they didn’t seem worried about it. I didn’t know whether they were talking to other agents. Assuming I’d get the listing would have been presumptuous, and pushing the conversation would have been rude.

If they had asked, I would have handled the order differently. When they were ready, they reached out, and I saw their home for the first time.

What happened when they sold?

We did what I always do at a first appointment. I toured the home, asked a lot of questions, and gave them my best estimate of value.

Pricing in the fall is harder than most sellers expect. The comparable sales you’re using often closed in spring or summer, when more buyers were shopping. Active and pending listings help, but late in the year the data can be thin. You make the best call you can with what you have.

The home did not sell for a few weeks, and I’ll be honest about that. We made one price reduction that moved it into a different price bracket, and that brought in a whole new group of buyers. We found our buyer, and requests were minimal.

Because the move happened in stages, the house still had their furniture in it when we took listing photos. I pushed for that, since a furnished home photographs and shows better than an empty one.

What did they give up?

Probably some money on the sale. I wonder whether they would have netted more if we’d talked about selling earlier, while they were still settled in and the home was easy to show. They likely bought for less, too, so the season worked both for and against them.

Their finances gave them room to buy before selling and to accept whatever the market offered. That made them the exception, not the rule. Most households don’t have that cushion.

What would I tell the next homeowner in this spot?

Talk to a Realtor about both sides before you fall in love with a house. I see it over and over: people shop first and think about selling later. You don’t have to change your plan, but you should know the pros and cons before you choose it.

Here’s the part that frustrates people. If you sell high, you usually buy high. If you sell low, you usually buy low. The season tends to even itself out.

If that drives you crazy, there’s one way to work the system. Sell in spring, meaning February through April. Rent or stay with family for a while. Then buy between October and December, when buyers face less competition. It takes planning and patience, and it’s not for everyone.

Questions this story answers

Should I buy my next home or sell my current one first?
It depends on your finances and how much risk you can carry. Buying first makes the move easier but may mean qualifying with both homes or carrying two payments. Selling first gives you certainty on price but may require temporary housing. Talk to a lender and a Realtor before you decide.

What is dual agency in Minnesota?
It’s when one brokerage represents both the buyer and the seller (or the same agent helps both parties). Both parties must agree to it in writing, and the brokerage can’t advocate for one side against the other.

Is fall a hard time to sell a house?
It can be. There are often fewer buyers, and recent comparable sales may reflect a busier season, which makes pricing harder. Buyers face less competition then, too.

Should I leave my furniture in when I list?
Usually, yes. Furnished rooms help buyers understand the space, and empty homes often photograph and show worse.

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