DEAR SELLER,
I wish I could talk to you. I'd tell you to ask your agent to give you a copy of the MLS listing - both the customer version and the agent version. Several times lately, I've noticed that there's a significangt difference in the two versions.
The agent version sometimes is not at all exciting. For example:
- "Seller is still fixing up.."
- "The dog just barks; harmless."
- "The cats can be in or out."
- "Be sure to ...."
- "Can't be shown until..." with that date being months in the past.
- "Garage: 0", when remarks clearly mention the two-car garage. Maybe only the customer's version.
- "Special conditions. Call listing office." When it's vacant with lockbox. Of course we need to call, but at least we could plan more efficiently if we knew how easy it would be to fit this one in.
There may be nothing in the brief remarks to make an agent want to show that one instead of all the others that are well-presented. Some negative things may be necessary remarks, but it looks self-serving when the other version is much more attractive. There's room for both!
The "customer" version may be flowery and detailed, so our clients notice that one and wonder why we didn't suggest it, unless we're bothering to look at both versions. It's frustrating to have to print both to have at hand both showing instructions and all the good features.
I appreciate the agents who are as conscientious about presenting their listings to their colleagues as to the buyers. While I'm griping, I also appreciate the agents who bother to convert lot dimensions to acreage when possible and appropriate. Our system has dimensions and acreage as separate categories, and when I search for "5+ acres" and a listing has only dimensions, it won't come up.
Mr. and Mrs. Seller, if you'd ask your agent to show you how the listing comes up both for agents and for the public, you might be able to suggest ways of making the listing presentation more attractive and accurate for both. That might help you cut short the many days on market that probably have you wondering what's wrong.
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