IF YOUR AGENT DOESN'T KNOW AND FOLLOW THESE RULES
I'D SAY IT'S TIME TO TELL HIM TO TAKE A HIKE
One of the things I've learned over and over throughout the years is the importance of following a thorough marketing formula. That means cut no corners. Modify nothing.
This morning I looked through the listings in neighborhoods that I am interested in, homes whose listings have expired since the first of the year. Far more than half of them have been on the market for more than six months. No reasonable offer. No sale.
I studied the listing sheets, looked at the property tax rolls, did a quick CMA (Comparative Market Analysis), and in most cases I am totally convinced they didn't sell because the listing agent left marketing/advertising stones unturned.
And that is so easy to do, especially with the cost of marketing listings and the amount of personal time it consumes. Nevertheless, to rationalize why it will be alright to cut corners "this time" is not only false economy but poor representation of the agent's clients.
Henry Pomeroy was one of my mentors when I first went into the business. He insisted that to succeed there are two very important rules.
- The first one is to never calculate how much your commission will be if the property sells. Be surprised when the title company's escrow officer hands you the check.
- The second rule is to never try to anticipate where the buyer is going to come from or who it's likely to be. Market to the world, and almost every time you'll be surprised who buys it, and what message they saw of yours that encouraged them to consider it.
So those people who pick me to be their Realtor can always be assured that the marketing campaign I'll use is tried, true and will be full-blown. There is no other way. It's so often why an expired listing I take will sell within a couple of week and not at some fire-sale price.
BILL CHERRY, REALTORS
SERVING TEXANS FOR 43 YEARS
IN DALLAS AT 214 593-8563
Bill Cherry, Realtors on the Web
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