I used to "provide feedback" but not anymore. Providing feedback is supposed to give the seller constructive information while a home is listed. It's meant as way to "help." If the listing agent gets 3 or 4 buyer's agents commenting about the "price" then the seller and listing agent might question their pricing strategy. That's a good example of feedback being used appropriately.
Here's why I quit...
1. If I compliment the listing and say.. "buyer's loved this listing, great price. We'll let you know if the interest materializes to the point of an offer." Then this is LIKELY what will happen:
The seller will jump the gun and call me. Yes this has freakin happened. They immediately call me and assume they have to "sell" the house to me. They call me in paranoia that if they or they agent doesn't call me in 2.1 nano-seconds that I'll somehow skip over their listing. If the seller doesn't ring my bell, then the Listing Agent will begin to blow my phone up asking...... "where's the offer? are we getting an offer? How bout that offer?"
2. If my buyer says.. "Greg, I liked this house, but it's not worth the price, lets MOVE ON." NOTE: I am not going to attempt to strong arm my buyer and convince them otherwise! If I leave feedback saying "buyer didn't like price for home" then typically the Listing Agent AND/OR Seller to....
a) defend their price (blab about upgrades)
b) talk about comps and "what has sold"
c) This is the one I hate the most.... "Greg, submit your offer and we can see what happens!"
Note to seller and buyer's agent. YOU can't expect a buyer's agent to "push" his buyer after he has said.. "lets move on." Nobody knows the buyer (besides the buyer) better than the buyer's agent. Don't assume you can or need to "think" for the buyer's agent. It's insulting, annoying and completely unnecessary.
BUYERS hire their OWN Realtor because they don't want to deal with a seller or the listing agent, remember?
The point I'm trying to make is simple. Don't READ too much into feedback. Don't ASSUME anything. Take feedback for what it is, and that's it.
If a buyer is SERIOUS about "loving" your home, an offer will follow. You calling, pushing or asking won't make that offer come any faster.
Some feedback is stupid. I don't like it either. As a listing agent it is VERY frustrating to read.. "buyer didn't like square footage." Especially when the square footage is POSTED ON THE MLS!
What you should also know:
Listing Agents sometimes give usernames and passwords to the seller so they can have access to the showings service FEEDBACK. Many buyer's agents don't know, or don't remember that the SELLER is reading this feedback. When a showing is made.. The BUYER'S agents information is posted WITH the feedback. This is how the seller has that information.
If it was up to me, I'd remove the buyers agent information so the seller can't view it. I'd allow it only for the LISTING AGENT to see. But that's just my opinion.
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