Why Hasn't My Home Sold? It Might Be Your Agent

The days of an agent putting a sign in the yard, and slapping it on mls, with a quick sale are over. Actually, those days never existed- it just seemed that way. The truth of the matter is, a good real estate professional, has always been vital to a smooth transaction. Those heady times that the public seems to remember, are usually six to ten month periods that are the equivalent to the Tulip Mania that consumed Holland, during a brief period in the seventeenth century. Those real estate cycles occur once every eight years or so, and they don't last long.

The typical real estate market, calls for competent agents, who are educated, market properly, and excel at communication. Although buyers and sellers often get caught up in price, it's the aforementioned traits they should seek, that will determine their success, navigating the real estate market. More specifically, how do agents communicate with each other. After all, chances are, your home is going to be sold by a cooperating mls broker.

A Tale Of Two Agents

Sometimes it just comes down to the difference between two real estate professionals. This Sunday, I previewed a condominium complex that I, or a client, might be interested in purchasing.  The community is gated, with electronic access. The agent did not list the gate combination in an attachment to the listing on mls. As one might imagine, this makes it fairly difficult to view or show. Moreover, a phone call to get the combination, has gone unanswered. Granted, it was Sunday, and she may have very well been in church. We know how to church here in Texas, but even our most committed Southern Baptists don't have 72 hour services.

Then we have agent number two. After waiting for a return call from the listing I called on, I made my way to the community. Who knows, perhaps I could catch someone leaving. That was not the case, but I did see a sign from another brokerage. She not only answered her call on the third ring, but provided great information. Her unit is currently under contract, but she gave me the access code after some verifying questions, told me to look at her unit anyway, and proceeded to talk about pocket listings she had, other units she anticipated, and we spoke about her upcoming listing nearby. She was not only working for her clients that owned the condominium, but other clients in the area.

Why hasn't your home sold? It's pretty hard to sell something that can't be seen.