![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/ThaliaRelocated.jpeg\")
\u201ciBuying is such a great idea that the iBuyers would rather sell you anything else instead!\u201d<\/p><\/div>When I built iBuyerSpy.com, I had anticipated writing software that would have generated the main content of the site. This never happened. I ended up blogging there, which I should have done here \u2013 an error I am now correcting.<\/p>\n
By now, the big-foot iBuyers have switched to upselling traditional listings, just like Redfin \u2013 and just like the many Realtors who have teamed up with cash investors to offer their own equity-fleecings \u2013 just like the iBuyers.<\/p>\n
So here’s my script for dealing with the question, on the phone or in a listing appointment:<\/p>\n
“iBuying is by now a loss-leader for online brokers, a bright, shiny bait-‘n’-switch. They will buy your house if you’re willing to abandon much of your equity. Or they will upsell you to a traditional listing \u2013 except they are much worse than traditional Realtors at getting homes sold. iBuyers are a lose-lose proposition for sellers. Can we talk about how we will work to get the job done right, instead?”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
They’re ordinary real estate gonophs with fancier websites. They suck at selling \u2013 you know, the actual job. They’re weak everywhere you’re strong. Sell your strengths.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201ciBuying is such a great idea that the iBuyers would rather sell you anything else instead!\u201dWhen I built iBuyerSpy.com, I had anticipated writing software that would have generated the main content of the site. This never happened. I ended up blogging there, which I should have done here \u2013 an error I am now correcting. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[542,5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-16626","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"hentry","6":"category-ibuyers","7":"category-real-estate","9":"no-featured-image"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":16839,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/16839\/the-money-making-secret-to-real-estate-socialize-the-risks-to-the-seller-the-ibuyers-are-just-now-catching-that-clue-ineptly-as-always\/","url_meta":{"origin":16626,"position":0},"title":"The money-making secret to real estate? Socialize the risks to the seller. The #iBuyers are just now catching that clue \u2013 ineptly, as\u00a0always.","author":"Greg Swann","date":"August 31, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"This has been a slow-rolling epiphany on the part of the iBuyers. I've snarked about it here and there, but that's all, so far. I wrote a ton about iBuying last Summer, but by now it all seems quite a bit less urgent. There are a lot more of them\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "iBuyers"","block_context":{"text":"iBuyers","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/category\/ibuyers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/tierra-mallorca-rgJ1J8SDEAY-unsplash-480x360.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":18678,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/18678\/ibuying-dies-very-soon\/","url_meta":{"origin":16626,"position":1},"title":"#iBuying dies very soon.","author":"Greg Swann","date":"March 24, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"My apologies for not writing here lately. I need the server for business, but when I write here I get hammered from without and then lose days proving that I am not implausibly engaged in digital self-harm. In any case: You can see me defending the headline here.","rel":"","context":"In "Group Therapy"","block_context":{"text":"Group Therapy","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/category\/group-therapy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xbwhrt87mq0-1024x683.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xbwhrt87mq0-1024x683.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xbwhrt87mq0-1024x683.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xbwhrt87mq0-1024x683.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17096,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/17096\/a-fun-fact-about-ibuyers-every-buy-box-is-redlining\/","url_meta":{"origin":16626,"position":2},"title":"A fun fact about #iBuyers? Every buy-box is redlining.","author":"Greg Swann","date":"September 22, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The image is a map of Zillow's sold iBuyer homes in the densest parts of Metropolitan Phoenix. See that Madonana-like shape running West from the I-17 Freeway. Looks like a pregnant single-mom, doesn't it? The poster-child of fair-housing law, right there on the map. Looks like redlining, doesn't it? I've\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Group Therapy"","block_context":{"text":"Group Therapy","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/category\/group-therapy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2020-09-22-at-9.57.47-AM.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":18590,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/18590\/overnight-news-gaming-artificial-intelligence-is-as-easy-as-selling-your-white-elephant-to-an-ibuyer\/","url_meta":{"origin":16626,"position":3},"title":"Overnight News: Gaming \u201cArtificial Intelligence\u201d is as easy as selling your white elephant to an\u00a0iBuyer.","author":"Greg Swann","date":"November 10, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Here's a true fact about iBuying: The sellers are gonophs. Home-sellers are often gonophs, of course, and, even if not, the information asymmetry runs all their way: Neither your Buyer's Agent nor your home inspector is likely to identify that semi-annual drainage problem. But many of the sellers who turn\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Group Therapy"","block_context":{"text":"Group Therapy","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/category\/group-therapy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ya think it's easy?","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/BHBNewTopImage-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":18586,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/18586\/overnight-news-whats-the-future-of-ibuying-ask-any-flipper-who-cant-do-the-math\/","url_meta":{"origin":16626,"position":4},"title":"Overnight News: What\u2019s the future of iBuying? Ask any flipper who can\u2019t do the\u00a0math.","author":"Greg Swann","date":"November 8, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"What will remain of the iBuyers, once the market turns? As noted long ago, iBuying as such is a very stupid idea. A flipper came up with it, and it may be that he didn't really even get the math of flipping, he just started at the perfect time \u2013\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Group Therapy"","block_context":{"text":"Group Therapy","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/category\/group-therapy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ya think it's easy?","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/BHBNewTopImage-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":17511,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/17511\/overnight-news-is-the-incumbent-is-now-the-real-estate-broker-elect-market-swing-threatens-overdue-shellacking-for-doe-eyed-ibuyers\/","url_meta":{"origin":16626,"position":5},"title":"Overnight News: Is \u201cThe Incumbent\u201d now the Real Estate Broker-Elect? Market swing threatens overdue shellacking for doe-eyed\u00a0iBuyers.","author":"Greg Swann","date":"November 22, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Seen any commercial TV lately? Have you spotted ads from local real estate vendors offering to make cash offers for homes \u2013 right now, on the spot, in any condition? \"That's not really iBuying!\" the iBuyers will shout \u2013 and it's true. It's flipping Homevestors.com-style \u2013 Ug's uglier offspring. What\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Group Therapy"","block_context":{"text":"Group Therapy","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/category\/group-therapy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ya think it's easy?","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/BHBNewTopImage-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16626"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16626\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16631,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16626\/revisions\/16631"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}