I showed a client 17 properties today.  We had narrowed down a list of 35 properties to 20... 3 of which turned out not to be available, although listed in the MLS as Active. 

I called 10 agents this morning because they required a call before showing, including 3 that had a combination lockbox which I needed to call for the code.  I'm still waiting for 4 callbacks... one of which had a combination box on the house.  We stopped by and back-burnered it... 

This is a buyer that is ready to make something happen. 

But that isn't the whole story... 

Keep in mind that these are entry level homes.  And one agent describes his listing as "SHOWS LIKE A MODEL" (his caps).  The particular property is a foreclosure.  And to describe it as a model is REALLY stretching... really!  It needs paint, carpet, updated appliances, cleaning, a new sliding door in the back... (are we getting the idea... This does NOT show like a model).  The home has plenty of deferred maintenance.  It isn't terrible, but it isn't a model home, either. 

I wish that was everything.  We saw listings with photos that looked like the resolution was turned down on their phones when they shot them.  We saw pictures of rooms so choked with "stuff" that they weren't recognizable.  But even worse, we went into homes that weren't much different.  There were homes that smelled of urine or pet refuse.  Others that had obvious mold or other problems. 

And we can't blame all of this on banks and REO agents...

Sure, we might be able to blame a little on seller clients that don't follow the directions to better market their homes.  But the main culprit is us.  The culprits are agents that misrepresent about their listings, take crappy photos, list homes that are nowhere near sellable condition and then... don't return phone calls from people that want to see their clients properties. 

I know...  I know that there are sellers out their that can't afford to spend a pile of money getting their house in shape to sell... but that doesn't mean they should be relieved from cleaning up, de-cluttering and paying attention to the actions of their junky agent...

And then it comes right back to the agent.  It is the agent that bears the responsibility to do appropriate marketing, and it is the agent that needs to help the seller get ready to sell. 

After all, why bother taking the listing if there isn't an intention to sell the property?