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Fake buyers don't lie in wait like tigers itching to dig their claws into you for the thrill of killing your deal. The very thought that people would knowingly waste their time and money on an exercise in futility is ludicrous.
The key word is knowingly. All buyers start out thinking that they're sincere. As their quest for a house continues, however, circumstances ultimately prove that some are phony.
Fake buyers usually mimic genuine buyers very cleverly (so cleverly, in fact, they often fool themselves for quite some time). Like real buyers, counterfeit buyers may have agents, read ads about houses for sale, and go to Sunday open houses. They outwardly appear to be the real McCoy. If you (and your listing agent, if you're using one) don't know how to detect fake buyers, you end up wasting time, energy, and money fruitlessly negotiating to sell your house to less-than-genuine prospects.
Identifying bogus buyers is easy if you know how. The following sections include five tests that you can use to spot the fakes.
