Home > Blogs > Gary White~Grand Rapids Home Selling Pro Call: 616-821-9375 > Gary White, FlexIt Realty~ 616-784-2360, Grand Rapids Homes For Sale & West Michigan Real Estate

What do you mean that Home is Pending?

By Gary White~Grand Rapids Home Selling Pro Call: 616-821-9375

Managing Real Estate Broker with Flexit Realty "Flexible Home Selling Solutions"

December 26, 2010 03:00 AM

I wished I had a dollar for every time a buyer called me to check on a listing for them!

My hat goes off to our local MLS, the Grand Rapids Association of Realtors. They are stepping up and being proactive...even if it did take awhile. Every association should follow the lead of the Grand Rapids Association of Realtors on the subject of pending sales, as far as I am concerned.

Associations move slowly to analyze what is best for the membership, public and real estate. It is frustrating at times but you have to understand the process and need for verification of data.

We have the dubious honor of being ranked #2 in the nation for unemployed workers. This most likely will increase our foreclosure rate as the benefits run out.

This is a huge problem but not the problem that gets people fired up when they call me. The reason they get mad is listings not being updated as pending. It makes me mad too...we waste a huge amount of my clients time as well as mine running down agents only to find the listing already has an accepted offer. I call the agent and they tell me they are waiting for something...or the home is already pending two weeks ago...sorry I didn't get to the computer to update the listing as pending yet!

My all time favorite...HUH, that should be pending the office secretary must have missed it! Don't you know your office secretary didn't take the listing. Your office secretary isn't the one responsible...you are!

Now I call back the buyer...sorry that one is pending. Then I get, you're wrong I am looking at it on the web site right now, it's for sale! Then I explain that the listing broker didn't mark it correctly, the property indeed has an accepted offer. The status change should happen in the next day or so. I did look at a couple others similar and in the same area would you like to see those?

So now you get a notice to correct on the first one. You get a fine on the second and it doubles ever time you have another missed pending change by intervals of $125.00 each. I know you only have 10 days from the time the forms are signed to update the system...do you think you can handle it?

Why should I have upset clients because of another brokerages inability to perform?

How many times have you checked and found the listing pending or worse closed and sold!

For Personal Service, Call: 616-784-2360 Email: GaryWhite@FlexitRealty.com

Thanks for Stopping By. www.GaryLWhite.com

Re-Blog

Comments(17)

Comment

Show All Comments

Sort:

Charlie Ragonesi

AllMountainRealty.com - Big Canoe, GA

Homes - Big Canoe, Jasper, North Georgia Pros

I had a buyer who was so incensed about this that he called the listing broker to complain. We were told by an agent all was ok . Saw the home put in an offer and then told oh no it is pending, but we have others. It was all I could do to convince my buyer this was an honest mistake and the other company was not trying to bait and switch him. He was ready to file a complaint with the real estate commission

Dec 26, 2010 03:02 AM

Lori Mode

The Mode Real Estate Group - Elk Grove, CA

Real Estate Made Simple

Gary - our MLS in Sacramento has been doing that for a while now. It does help, but we still find some that don't change the status soon enough. It certainly will make your life a little easier though.

Dec 26, 2010 03:02 AM

Barbara Hensley

RE/MAX Properties - Rockwall, TX

Homes for Sale in Rockwall County, Texas

Gary...well said AND about time! Report the current status of listings ASAP.

Dec 26, 2010 03:03 AM

Sylvie Stuart

Realty One Group Mountain Desert 928-600-2765 - Flagstaff, AZ

Home Buying, Home Selling and Investment - Flagsta

Good post. I just recently got a "oh, I should probably change that". It is nice when they are updated in a timely manner for the public.

Dec 26, 2010 03:06 AM

Gary White~Grand Rapids Home Selling Pro Call: 616-821-9375

Flexit Realty "Flexible Home Selling Solutions" - Grand Rapids, MI

Real Estate Services You can Trust!

Hi Charlie, I think we have all had these calls, most times it is an honest mistake but we need to be proactive because their are those that abuse the system and make it difficult for all of us. Thanks for the comments Charlie, have a Great 2011!

Dec 26, 2010 03:07 AM

Dennis Duvernay Broker/Owner

Hillview Realty - Northbridge, MA

The funny part of it all Gary, is it takes a second to change the status....do they not know the rules or do they just not care.....frustrating....

Dec 26, 2010 03:08 AM

Gary White~Grand Rapids Home Selling Pro Call: 616-821-9375

Flexit Realty "Flexible Home Selling Solutions" - Grand Rapids, MI

Real Estate Services You can Trust!

Hi Lori and Bruce, this should go a long way in helping the accuracy of the MLS while controlling the data the public has access to as well. Our profession depend on accuracy. Thanks for the comments have a Great New Year.

Dec 26, 2010 03:09 AM

Gary White~Grand Rapids Home Selling Pro Call: 616-821-9375

Flexit Realty "Flexible Home Selling Solutions" - Grand Rapids, MI

Real Estate Services You can Trust!

Hi Barbara, the listing status is important to buyers searching the web sites and for agents and brokers providing data. I am not very happy when I send thumbnails of homes to review before finalize our list to make appointments only to find many are pending and the status has not be updated. Thanks for the comments Barbara. Have a wonderful new year.

Dec 26, 2010 03:13 AM

Gary White~Grand Rapids Home Selling Pro Call: 616-821-9375

Flexit Realty "Flexible Home Selling Solutions" - Grand Rapids, MI

Real Estate Services You can Trust!

Hi Sylvie, I have had those too. My clients don't see the humor in wasting their time or getting excited about a home that already has an accepted offer two weeks ago. Thanks for the comments Sylvie.

Dec 26, 2010 03:15 AM

Gary White~Grand Rapids Home Selling Pro Call: 616-821-9375

Flexit Realty "Flexible Home Selling Solutions" - Grand Rapids, MI

Real Estate Services You can Trust!

Hi Dennis, it is only a click of the mouse and the update is done! We'll see how the new system works. I am appreciative of the MLS efforts. Thanks for your comments Dennis. Have a Great 2011!

Dec 26, 2010 03:17 AM

Bob "RealMan" Timm

Ward County Notary Services - Minot, ND

Owner of Ward Co Notary Services retired RE Broker

Gary I agree and "My all time favorite...HUH, that should be pending the office secretary must have missed it!" is the one I hear the most as well. I sometimes wonder if my competitors with the big name companies (in my town) do any of their own work.

Dec 26, 2010 03:48 AM

Bill Pohl

Tetra Homes, Inc. - Loveland, OH

Gary - It is about time that the listing agent is held accountable for the status of the home. Otherwise, you think the system is being gamed.

Dec 26, 2010 06:57 AM

William James Walton Sr.

WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Briotti Group - Waterbury, CT

Greater Waterbury Real Estate

Goodness, how many times have I run into this exact same scenario??? Too many times to count, Gary. And what is so annoying about it, is that there are times when my own office is responsible for the lag...Arrrgggh...

I wish there were a way to hold brokerages/listing agents more accountable for these things...

Dec 26, 2010 09:33 AM

Gary White~Grand Rapids Home Selling Pro Call: 616-821-9375

Flexit Realty "Flexible Home Selling Solutions" - Grand Rapids, MI

Real Estate Services You can Trust!

Hi Bob, have to agree that is one of my favorite saying too. The poor front office manager must have not taken care of my responsibility to change the listing status. I wonder if they turned in the paperwork? That is our trigger to make the change. Thanks for the comments Bob. Have a great 2011.

Dec 27, 2010 07:08 AM

Gary White~Grand Rapids Home Selling Pro Call: 616-821-9375

Flexit Realty "Flexible Home Selling Solutions" - Grand Rapids, MI

Real Estate Services You can Trust!

Hi Bill, the system is being gamed. The offenders are hoping for buyer calls and do a bait and switch many times. We hope this will help the public not to be mislead. Thanks for the comments Bill.

Dec 27, 2010 07:10 AM

Gary White~Grand Rapids Home Selling Pro Call: 616-821-9375

Flexit Realty "Flexible Home Selling Solutions" - Grand Rapids, MI

Real Estate Services You can Trust!

Hi William, we have a direct entry system which allows agents to make changes to their listings. We call it broker-load. The agent sends the paperwork to the office and makes the adjustments. It shouldn't have a lag time. Thanks for the comments William.

Dec 27, 2010 07:13 AM

Georgie Hunter R(S) 58089

Hawai'i Life Real Estate Brokers - Haiku, HI

Maui Real Estate sales and lifestyle info

Even 10 days to update the status is too lenient. I think we only allow 2 or 3. We are only as good as our data.

Dec 28, 2010 12:31 PM