By Matthew Rathbun, CRS
As agents who navigate the intricate dance of selling homes while managing clients’ 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, our focus is often only on the adult members of the family when it comes to meetings and consultation. My wife and I were home-schooling parents, and we intentionally incorporated 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, not just the luggage. Here’s how agents can make sure a client’s children are included in the process.
Start with inclusion
When discussing market dynamics or staging strategies, it’s easy to overlook the little ones. However, keeping kids in mind as you assist their parents is an important part of a holistic approach to client care. It is important to manifest a tangible example of the promises we made to the client as they agreed to align with us as their agent. One way is to help coach parents to manage their child’s expectations and fears.
For the adult seller, they have lived in their home for 7–8 years, and it’s now time to move. There is planning, calling, budgeting, searching and stress. For a child, this home is 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, friends and adventure, while others will be fearful or hide their feelings.
Engage kids 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 Carpenter, who introduced the topic of a “Kids Listing Agreement.” This concept 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 home. In return, the agent will provide a gift or treat when the home goes to settlement. I use gift cards for game stores, sports stores or other entertaining things. The concept has been a big hit. At the time of the listing appointment, I ask the parents if they 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.
The parents are reminded that their children may have some hidden anxiety about strangers coming into their house, 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, explain how lockboxes work and show what their home will look like online.
For younger children, you can easily create coloring books or pages resembling the new community they are moving to using Canva’s AI tool, Magic Design.
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 narrpr.com about the community that the home seller is moving to. These reports show a lot of insight into the community that the parents 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.
Treating kids as active participants in the selling process fosters 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. It will also give your clients something unique to share about you when they give your name to their friends and family who may be looking to sell.
So, the next time you’re listing a family home, remember that 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.
Market yourself to consumers with RRC’s customizable Your Home Newsletter at www.CRS.com/resources/your-home-newsletter.
Photo: Getty Images/monkeybusinessimages
