Incentives scream desperation to me.  If the seller cannot sell at market to get their net then paying for incentives won't make a lot of sense either. It is money out of the sellers' pocket either way.

Check with your board's rules regarding publishing incentives. 

price it properly and no one will need an incentive....  otherwise, it's screaming desperation...

Sometimes the incentives are more important than the price.  Paying closing costs can be a big deal for many buyers.  If allowed, put it in the public remarks so EVERYONE knows.  Whether it screams desperation or not is irrelevant.  It gets the negotiations going.

I wouldn't (except maybe in agent remarks--
'Seller MAY pay Buyer CC with acceptable offer')

Let that be a negotiable item . . . it's like a carpet allowance. The buyer will lowball you because you need carpet, then ask for the allowance too.

Put the incentives in the comments. Use a dollar or percentage amount that will comply with lender requirements.

  Your Board or Association's MLS may be blocking it from public remarks.  Check with them. 

For those looking for Closing costs and even for some who are not, incentives mean LESS OUT OF POCKET CASH for buyers! It means a lot to buyers - I would share the remarks publicly.

Yes, pricing it properly helps but, oftentimes, homes need more upgrades than sellers are willing to make and this incentive gets things moving.

You can just write " Buyer Incentives" without giving details. Have sellers agree on dollar amount. Incentives can be "Immediate Occupancy, closing costs, Seller can pre pay 6-12 months of HOA fee, 1+ year of Home Warranty coverage, etc. Buyer might choose a price reduction of equal amount of incentives being offered.

my MLS allows it in public remarks and depending on the house I think it's a good idea.  If it's a typical entry level priced home that first time buyers might be looking at then closing costs are important to those buyers.  If it's a luxury home that will be a vacation home rarely do buyers need or ask for sellers to contribute to closing costs.

No point in having an incentive if nobody knows about it.

Maybe a price reduction would be more productive.

In the remarks to the public? Probably not. You are better off getting a buyer-agent to negotiate you on that...

In Nature specifically the animal world, predators sniff out prey that are made up of the young, the old, the sick & the injured. Desperate in Real Estate? It only excites the greediness in all. Now a good deal makes one move

Incentives are best identified in the listing price!  Still, it could be the thing that causes a buyer to jump on it!  If not prohibited I would put the information out as long as seller is OK!

steven jackson I think Kathleen Daniels has your answer....

I would suggest they lower their price in lieu of offering incentives. That might spur more activity.

I am with Barbara Todaro .  If it priced right, then you don't need an incentive. A

I don't see many such incentives in my market.  It will be interesting to see the responses from different areas.   

You must not be in a seller's market, or in a tough neighborhood to sell this home. New Home builders offer these type of incentives all the time, especially this time of year to reduce their inventory. Check with your broker to see if you can make an incentive offer in the public remarks section of your MLS. I normally only express this if I get permission to do so under agent remarks only.

I say loose the incentives and price the home lower. First thing i would do is reassess the list price, add or deduct for extras or repairs. Look what has sold, what is for sale and be just under that. You will attract more buyers priced right than with extras they may not want or need

Out here incentives can only be in the agent remarks, especially commission related ones.  Closing costs may be ok in the public comments, I'm not sure though.  All depends on the board.  Best to just lower the price a couple grand.

Not the best incentive, you're right - save it for later. Work with the price point, but that's probably not what your sellers want to hear. Try reducing the price at least by the amount of the estimated closing costs. That will get more attention. Stage, spruce up photo's...

Sometimes after the original listing goes thru, there are no more updates. You can manually put them in on each site.  A price reduction would have served them better I believe.

steven jackson Don't sell an incentive, sell buyer benefits. WIIFM will always get them.

Steven,

The only incentives worth offering are those that remove barriers and obstacles for the buyer.  In most cases, a seller offers incentives to overcome barriers and obstacles the seller has created. That will not work.

The barriers and obstacles change based on price point and type of real estate.

That is why 'downpayment' assistance and 'points buydown' are important incentives. They remove barriers and obstacles for the buyer and clearly communicate to other buyers not needing help,  and their agents, what they should offer for the property.

Price trumps everything.

Adjust the price - instead of incentives, Steven.

Rather than an incentive, lower the price, as this will attract more buyers.

Not a fan, but if the seller wants to offer an incentive, I do not put that in the general remarks!

Put it in the remarks area.

I would place that in the Brokers' Remarks.

I had one seller make the incentive to the buyer's agent with an expiration date and stipulation the home would close.  Agents Remarks only

The reason - If you have a lot of fixed costs that come up monthly the seller is going to have to pay one way or another right?

If it is towards closing costs it sounds good. 

If they are so concerned then go ahead and put it in the public remarks.

A price reduction will be more effective than "incentives". A suggestions would be to reduce the price by the amount of closing costs they were willing to pay. 

Hidden incentives won't encourage any Buyer if they don't know about them...

Price it right and you'll eliminate the need for an incentive...   

Incentives for agents do NOT get buyers to buy a house.

In our market, buyers are looking for remarks of that nature in public remarks and it causes the buyers to ask their agents more about it. It can and does prompt more showings.

Incentives should only be in REALTOR® remarks.

You have to consult your local MLS on those rules. I'd put it everywhere in our ''other''  than mls marketing. 

 Redo the photos.  Reduce price in place of paying costs.

 Go for it.