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It Did Not Smell Like Roses!!

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 311291

                                                                              

                                                                 Roses    HomeRome 410-530-2400

Yesterday I went out with "Future Sellers". Most of you call these clients buyers. Being a listing agent, there is no way I would encourage a buyer to purchase a property that I would not be proud to list in the future. Hence...I only work with future sellers.

I had appointments set up pretty quickly with our Centralized Showing Service. All of them scheduled between 1-3 PM. The second property, I used my Sentri card to obtain the key from the lockbox, opened the door and the husband went in first. He came back coughing and gagging. My brilliant thought ...no need to go in.

But the wife loved the neighborhood and wanted to see this home.  Well, we should have known better. We had to cut our showings short and did not get to the last two. I called CSS and canceled.

Upon my return.... an email requesting feedback was waiting for me.  I always give feedback and this time was no exception.. my feedback response to that second house read:

''House was filthy with crying cats...no litter boxes..feces everywhere.  My pregnant buyer got sick from the smell and condition and had to cancel our other appointments. This needs to be reported to animal control!''

I wanted to say so much more, like you wasted my time, turned these clients off, how dare you to allow a showing with these existing conditions but I said no more.

And this morning I received the following reply:

"Thank you for the feedback, Margaret.  I wasn't aware.  The cats should have been removed a while ago.  I'll contact sellers.  My apologies."

It was a very unpleasant situation but I appreciated the quick response and apology.

It did not smell like roses!

 

Margaret Rome

 

 

 

Posted by

Margaret Rome
HomeRome Realty
Broker/Owner/Realtor®

Baltimore, Maryland


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Jackie Connelly-Fornuff
Douglas Elliman Real Estate in Babylon NY - Babylon, NY
"Moving at The Speed of YOU!"

Hi Margaret, how in the world could the agent NOT know? They obviously don't check in on their vacant listings. That is horrible to have experienced that for your future sellers and you!

Aug 05, 2011 02:37 PM
Joy Daniels
Joy Daniels Real Estate Group, Ltd. - Harrisburg, PA

Unfortunately our seller don't tell use everything we should know - so feedback is a great way gain awareness!  Thanks for your post.

Aug 05, 2011 02:37 PM
Ed Silva, 203-206-0754
Mapleridge Realty, CT 203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Central CT Real Estate Broker Serving all equally

Margaret, that had to be double horrible especially with the heat we've had this past week. Any animal smells in a house can be intense, but when it cones from animals that are being neglected it's impossible to stand. ASPCA should have been called, however.

Aug 05, 2011 03:18 PM
J. Philip Faranda
Howard Hanna Rand Realty - Yorktown Heights, NY
Associate Broker / Office Manager

Pets are deal killers if not managed properly. These people sound like hoarders, which if it involves animals is a humanitarian and sanitary issue. Pregnant women and cat poop do not mix. Very bad. 

Aug 05, 2011 03:57 PM
Brian Madigan
RE/MAX West Realty Inc., Brokerage (Toronto) - Toronto, ON
LL.B., Broker

Margaret,

It 's good to see taht someone is actually reading your response. Sometimes, I tyhink they are just read by a computer.

Brian

Aug 05, 2011 04:17 PM
Karen Crowson
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Rancho Bernardo, CA
Your Agent for Change

Love that phrase, 'future sellers'.  What a good way to look at it :)

Aug 05, 2011 04:24 PM
Chuck Carstensen
RE/MAX Results - Elk River, MN
Minnesota/Wisconsin Real Estate Expert

I went in one sort of close to that today. I dont know why its listed and what is going on in there.

Aug 05, 2011 05:23 PM
James Sanson
REAL Broker, LLC - Tempe, AZ
REALTOR®

if everything smelt like roses nothing would be peachy, right?

Aug 05, 2011 05:33 PM
Heather Russo
Keller Williams Realty - Kerrville - Kerrville, TX
SRES , REALTOR, Kerrville, Texas Homes for Sale

I have no sense of smell... HOWEVER... I can tell when there are multiple cats in a home!!!

It's a 'sense' to me... not smell... the ammonia hits my nose & my eyes start watering!

 

I can only say to you in this case... EWWWWWW! 

Aug 05, 2011 06:03 PM
Jean Singleton
Capital Realty Experts - Rexford, NY
Specializing in Your Special Needs
Ew! And that is actually dangerous for a woman who is pregnant.
Aug 06, 2011 01:02 AM
Tim Fennell
The Legends of Real Estate, REALTORS® - Jacksonville, FL
Jacksonville Real Estate

Yuch! I almost lost my breakfast just reading your description. Can't really blame the listing agent, I suppose... but if I were the listing agent and the seller refused to clean up their act, I'd be gone in a heartbeat!  I can handle most anything but bad pet odors - not so much! 

Aug 06, 2011 01:11 AM
Mike Yeo
3:16 team REALTY - Frisco, TX

Sounds like the listing agent should have done a walk through before putting the property on the market. Yuck!

Aug 06, 2011 01:26 AM
Loreena and Michael Yeo
3:16 team REALTY ~ Locally-owned Prosper TX Real Estate Co. - Prosper, TX
Real Estate Agents

Yikes...that is going to cost the seller and the agent some DOM. Hope your client feels better.

Aug 06, 2011 01:32 AM
Susan Gaieski
Water Pointe Realty Group - Jupiter, FL
Director for Social Media & Technology
Unbelievable. I can't believe that they didn't think about this prior. Does it smell like roses now?
Aug 06, 2011 01:41 AM
Lizette Fitzpatrick
Lizette Realty - Richmond KY - Lexington, KY
Lizette Realty, Lexington KY MLS - Kentucky Homes

Sounds like it was another "list and leave" agent that had the listing. Her office probably set up the auto-feedback too. sad.

Aug 06, 2011 03:34 AM
Kelley Eling
Fathom Realty Group - Sonoma, CA
Realtor Extraordinaire

I was on tour in Sonoma one day, Broker Tour, and there were dead cats in the house.  WTH?

Aug 06, 2011 06:48 AM
Christine Donovan
Donovan Blatt Realty - Costa Mesa, CA
Broker/Attorney 714-319-9751 DRE01267479 - Costa M

Margaret - Presuming that the agent saw the house and knew the condition, wouldn't she have verified later on that the cats had been removed?

Aug 06, 2011 10:38 AM
Sandy Acevedo
951-290-8588 - Chino Hills, CA
RE/MAX Masters, Inland Empire Homes for Sale

At least the listing agent apologized as she was under the illusion that cats were no longer there. We all do not check on our listings every single day and it would not take long for this unsanitary condition to develop. Being forthright in your feedback was a positive for asking for feedback.

Aug 06, 2011 11:06 AM
Anonymous
erica

...makes the flowers grow...lalalala...

Aug 08, 2011 08:48 PM
#70
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD
Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

BUYING A FIRST HOME IN MARYLAND...A FAIRY TALE

This post is how the story ends.

Sep 16, 2011 04:21 AM