Sell a Home - Get an iPad

                                         
A few colleagues in the Austin area have been known to provide enticements such as, Sell a Home - Get an iPad.  I am trying to wrap my head around this concept and have pondered if this is necessary to get a home sold.  I have asked myself a dozen times, what is the rational behind this idea and have yet to come up with an answer.

Clearly, this is targeted to the realtor who brings the buyer (not the buyer), and states, "the first realtor to bring us an offer on one of our listings."  How is first defined or tracked?  The first accepted offer since the e-blast?  Does the offer have to be on one of the homes that were included in the advertisement? 

Here is my opinion for all that it is worth.  Offering enticements to realtors to bring an offer opens many doors for possible steering.  Steering is NEVER a good situation and is a violation of RESPA.  I have never been a big fan of rewards for standard performance because rewards are for extraordinary performances, not mediocre chances. 

What happened to the old fashioned way of selling real estate?  Meet with your client. Ask probing questions and listen to their Answers.  Show properties that meets the criteria.  When they find a home that meets their criteria - maae an offer.

I've compiled a list of questions to understand why this is necessary.

1.  Does offering something of value increase the chances of getting the home sold?
2.  Why is it necessary to offer this enticement?  Is something wrong with the house?
3.  What is the offer to closed ratio for transactions that are created due to an enticement?
4.  If you must offer an enticement to generate traffic, what does that say about your marketing abilities?
5.  For any realtor who has or still offers an enticement, were your expectations met?

Opinions, ideas, suggestions are appreciated.