According to the Urban Dictionary, ‘The Full Monty’ doesn’t mean stripping or taking off all your clothes. It means doing ‘the whole thing’ or ‘going the whole way’ or ‘not stopping at any point’.

Or, in the words of my father, “If you’re going to do something, do it right or don’t do it at all.”

Every listing agent who takes on a Short Sale ought to heed this advice. Instead, many take the opposite meaning, and strip their listings bare.

The Naked Truth When It Comes to MLS Listings

When perusing active listings of houses for sale — either directly from the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) or at Realtor®.com — the casual observer can easily distinguish regular house sales from Short Sales or, for that matter, REOs/Bank-Owned properties.

Naked Truth #1. Only 1 photo - Not only one lonely photo but often teeny-tiny. Or blurry enough to be mistaken for a feral cat. Or imprinted with an inventory number. Or stretched from side-to-side but not top-to-bottom to make it appear as if it’s a sprawling ranch surrounded by fat trees.

Naked Truth #2. More than 1 photo but less than 6. Usually exterior shots only — of the green-algae swimming pool, the weed-encroached lawn, or the mildew-streaked exterior.

Naked Truth #3. No or very few public remarks. Although our local MLS allows 1275 characters to provide a glowing description of the property, often this space is an empty white square except for the MLS-mandated language regarding Short Sales.

Naked Truth #4. Limited listing details. Data fields contain only minimal information, usually auto-filled from county records.

Are these sellers being honestly served? Will buyers want to see these ‘naked’ houses as opposed to ‘The Full Monty’ houses down the block?

Showing only the ‘bare essentials’ is a disservice to both parties. But who will suffer the most? The homeowners, of course. And the cost to them will be time, money, effort, and most of all, hope.

Make Sure Your House Gets ‘The Full Monty’

Marketing - A Short Sale property should be marketed like any other house. That means multiple photos, a virtual tour, broad web exposure, direct mail, and everything else. Homeowners, as well as homebuyers, should demand no less.

Pricing Strategy - Homeowners facing foreclosure don’t have time to wait. While the initial listing price ought to be based on current market value like any other house, the price shouldn’t be set once and left untouched for the duration of the listing. The listing price should be aggressively repositioned until a buyer steps forward, money and good intentions in hand.

Someone on Your Side - Just because Short Sales are more difficult to handle doesn’t mean agents should shortchange the process or the homeowner. Sellers need to hear from their agents on a regular basis. Sometimes it’s just for someone to talk to, an answer to a question, advice on a sensitive matter, guidance on handling a tricky situation, or a simple update regarding showing activity.

Truth in Advertising - Whether a house is in model-ready condition or needs TLC, the price and marketing materials should honestly reflect the best features ... and the worst. Buyers look for value, and value can be found equally in showcase homes or handyman specials.

Short Sales and other distressed properties are here to stay. In the Orlando area, they represent 60% of total home sales. So just because they are Short Sales or REOs doesn’t mean they should get short shrift or less than the agent’s best effort.