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Tis the Season to Cancel Listings

By
Real Estate Agent with Remax Infinity

Tis' the season to cancel listings

 

The chill of winter is in the air. Santa's sleigh is being loaded with presents for good boys and girls. It's a great time for real estate agents to set goals, form business plans and cancel listings.

 

If the past few months have shown that a seller is not ‘serious about selling', and willing to put their price where the market is, it's time to give them the gift of a cancellation form. A stubborn seller is a gift that keeps on giving marketing costs, unrealistic expectations, and unwanted aggravation.

 

Last week I cancelled a listing that had been on the market with me for 60 days. Of course, it was listed with another agent in the past and failed to sell. This time though, the seller said they would, "Do what it takes". They got an appraisal for 250k. But, they refused to lower their price below 265k. I wished them happy holidays with another agent. Even Santa Clause doesn't bring contracts to overpriced properties.

 

A few days ago another seller told the appraiser what he "Needed to have" as a value on the appraisal. The appraiser declined to complete the report. Congratulation to Mr. Appraiser for his honesty and courage. This same seller complained about an agent on tour talking on his cell phone rather than giving his 40 year old property that needs updating his undivided attention. This seller was also ‘released to industry'.

 

The holidays are a wonderful time to spend with family, friends, and sellers who appreciate your services. They are a great time to count your blessings. Some of your clients may be stubborn grinches who are unwilling to listen to the listing agent, buyer feedback forms, and the market in general. It would be better to spend the New Year without these folks.

Lou Ludwig
Ludwig & Associates - Boca Raton, FL
Designations Earned CRB, CRS, CIPS, GRI, SRES, TRC

Paul

Your post is right on the money, we all have listings that we should cancel.

Good luck and success.

Lou Ludwig

Dec 09, 2009 07:53 AM