Special offer

DEAR SELLER: YOU MISSED A SHOWING TODAY!

By
Real Estate Agent with Hiawassee, Young Harris, Blairsville, Hayesville, Murphy and Beyond! GA 281904 and NC 185282

Fortunately, for the listing agent I cannot send this letter -  



Writing LetterDear Mr. and Mrs. Seller -  

While working with buyers today we came across your listing on the MLS.  According to the description it had all the features that my buyer clients wanted and I would have loved to have shown it to them.  However we had a lot of properties to look at and not much time and, since there were no pictures of the exterior of your home, the buyers choose to not add it to the list.  Yes, I agree that your view is awesome and your agent was clever to use that as the main picture but these savvy buyers are  very concerned about curb appeal.

 



I’ve been out with two different sets of buyers the last couple of days.  While sitting in the office going over the list of what we wanted to see, we discarded numerous properties that had NOview exterior pictures other than the view off the deck.  Being able to visualize themselves in your home is one of the key emotional factors in selecting which properties they want to view.   Given that most MLS systems today allow for a high volume of pictures this should not be a problem.

 

What can you as a seller do?  Ask your agent to send you a link to view the web sites (including MLS) where your property is listed.   (Keep in mind however that with today’s syndication agreements agents don’t have full control over what is presented.  However, your agent can tell if you they can edit those syndicated sites).  If you have taken photographs of  your home when it’s green and the landscape is in full bloom, provide them to your agent.  Review the descriptions for accuracy as well.  No one knows your home better than you and I’m sure your agent will be more than happy for you to create a beautiful flowery write-up for your property.  

 

ClientsSelling your home should be a collaborative effort between you and your agent.  Be involved in the process and I don’t mean calling your agent every day asking them why they haven’t shown your house.  It is important that you work together for a successful closing. Your job is to make sure the house is available to show, presentable and priced right.  Your agent’s job is getting it in front of as many agents and potential buyers as possible and a successful sale occurs when each of you has done their job!

 

Cyndi


Posted by

Comments (14)

Robin Dampier REALTOR®
Coldwell Banker King - Hendersonville, NC
Hendersonville & Western NC Real Estate Source

It just amazes me in this day and age that the sellers don't insist that they see and approve the photos being used to maket their property.  Why don't they insist on good photos and many more than one.  Do many sellers not ask to see pictures, etc?  It befuddles me.

Have a great day and a blessed Christmas.  Last year we had a lot of snow on Christmas, hummmm.

Sue of Robin and Sue

Dec 21, 2011 02:47 AM
Ralph Janisch ABR CRS Broker
Janisch & Co. - Conroe, TX
Selling Northwest Houston to good people like you!

I'm always VERY suspicious when an agent doesn't put a photo of the exterior of the home.  What are they trying to hide??  Or..... ore they just plain stupid?

Dec 21, 2011 02:49 AM
Scott Fogleman
Richmond, VA

Wow, no exterior pictures.. crazy! People want to see the curb appeal but they also want to know if the house needs to be painted or a new roof...

Dec 21, 2011 02:49 AM
Vickie Nagy
Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate - Palm Springs, CA
Vickie Jean the Palm Springs Condo Queen

Great point Bill and Cyndi. I have had many, many buyers say that if photos of curb view and kitchen are missing that they simply will not go see a home.

Dec 21, 2011 02:51 AM
Eve Alexander
Buyers Broker of Florida - Tampa, FL
Exclusively Representing ONLY Tampa Home Buyers

For sure, for sure....good post.

Today I was looking at a $3M listing on line (not a new listing) and it said "pictures do not do it justice..."  The pictures were awful...taken from a poor angle and very dark. 

Whats wrong with re-taking poor quality pictures or having a professional take them?  Or if you are going to take them yourself, take a photo class!

Eve in Orlando

Dec 21, 2011 02:51 AM
Bill & Cyndi Daves
Hiawassee, Young Harris, Blairsville, Hayesville, Murphy and Beyond! - Hiawassee, GA
TeamDAVES - Your REALTORS In the GA/NC Mountains!

Sue - I so agree!  I'm sure no agent would  be happy if a seller was calling every other day with some crazy request, but the fact they list with an agent and then NEVER see any of the marketing materials amazes me.

Come on sellers - you're in this too!!  Get involved.

Merry Christmas to you too!

Cyndi

Dec 21, 2011 11:45 AM
Bill & Cyndi Daves
Hiawassee, Young Harris, Blairsville, Hayesville, Murphy and Beyond! - Hiawassee, GA
TeamDAVES - Your REALTORS In the GA/NC Mountains!

Jeanne and Ralph - I know what you mean.  I'm not sure what the answer to that question is though!! 

Merry Christmas!

Cyndi

Dec 21, 2011 11:46 AM
Bill & Cyndi Daves
Hiawassee, Young Harris, Blairsville, Hayesville, Murphy and Beyond! - Hiawassee, GA
TeamDAVES - Your REALTORS In the GA/NC Mountains!

Scott - You make a very good point.  No exterior pictures is scary!  Of course no pictures of other key elements is as well.  Hmmm Mr. Agent, does this house even HAVE a kitchen??  There are no pictures of one!

Merry Christmas,

Cyndi

Dec 21, 2011 11:47 AM
Bill & Cyndi Daves
Hiawassee, Young Harris, Blairsville, Hayesville, Murphy and Beyond! - Hiawassee, GA
TeamDAVES - Your REALTORS In the GA/NC Mountains!

Vickie - I was amazed at the number of houses we didn't look at this week only due to lack of photos.  Those sellers would not be happy I am sure!

Merry Christmas,

Cyndi

Dec 21, 2011 11:48 AM
Bill & Cyndi Daves
Hiawassee, Young Harris, Blairsville, Hayesville, Murphy and Beyond! - Hiawassee, GA
TeamDAVES - Your REALTORS In the GA/NC Mountains!

Eve in Orlando - Wow - $3M and bad pictures?  That's totally not acceptable!!  Of course I will admit, we treat our $60K foreclosure just like we do a $550K house.  Good pictures, lots of them, edited for better lighting, etc.

Merry Christmas,

Cyndi

Dec 21, 2011 11:50 AM
Mona Gersky
MoonDancer Realty, Dillsboro,NC - Sylva, NC
GRI,IMSD-Taking the mystery out of real estate.

Hi Cyndi,  our area is full of homes that have been bolted to the side of the earth and it's very difficult to get an exterior without a boom truck!  It would not seem unreasonable to me to tell a seller of such a house that THEY will need to provide exterior shots or pay for someone to bring the boom truck or helicopter in to capture the shot.  Good post.  Merry Christmas to you.

Dec 21, 2011 02:18 PM
Kwee Huset
Kwee Huset Realty - Venice, FL
Venice Florida Homes For Sale

Cyndi & Bill, in our MLS without a picture your listing will not publish, it will sit in the box . Once a picture enter it will authomatically appear as Active liisting.

Dec 21, 2011 03:14 PM
Bill & Cyndi Daves
Hiawassee, Young Harris, Blairsville, Hayesville, Murphy and Beyond! - Hiawassee, GA
TeamDAVES - Your REALTORS In the GA/NC Mountains!

Hey Mona - I know what you mean BUT there has to be SOMETHING available of the outside.  Equally bad is when the description tells you all about some fantastic feature (fireplace, kitchen, master bath, etc.) then there's no picture of it.  If you're gonna tell us how great it is, then SHOW us!

Merry Christmas,

Cyndi

Dec 22, 2011 03:23 PM
Bill & Cyndi Daves
Hiawassee, Young Harris, Blairsville, Hayesville, Murphy and Beyond! - Hiawassee, GA
TeamDAVES - Your REALTORS In the GA/NC Mountains!

Kwee - Our MLS is the same.  If there's no picture it doesn't get published.  But that's not the problem.  The problem is when there's no picture at all of the exterior of the house.  Lots of pictures of the gorgeous view off the deck and of the interior but nothing to show us what the house itself looks like.

Merry Christmas,

Cyndi

Dec 22, 2011 03:24 PM