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Feedback after viewing a home - from a buyers agent perspective

I have decided to make this a public post, so that home sellers could see why there will
be times they won't receive detailed feedback after showings, and for home buyers to know that
the art of negotiations is an area that buyers agents pride themselves on.

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I could spend an hour today commenting individually to several posts made in the last 48
hours by sellers agents complaining about the lack of feedback or lack of detail in the
feedback they receive after showings.

Last week I left comments in a couple of posts with the same complaints: "Why won't buyers agents do their jobs and give me more feedback?"

Here is a reply that I an seriously considering copying and pasting and inserting when appropriate.

First: It is NOT my job to give you detailed feedback. I don't work for your sellers, I work for MY buyers.

Prior to viewing homes with buyer clients I explain one of the things I do on their behalf:

I ask them if they want their opinion of the home shared with the sellers of the home.

If a buyer has completely removed a home from consideration then they usually agree to my talking with the sellers agent, or providing feedback via email.

If a buyer has NOT completely removed a home from consideration
then I will not give any feedback beyond saying "I cannot provide it at
this time per my clients instructions as they have not made a decision yet
on which home to purchase. Please thank your clients for allowing us to
view their home."

For the most part sellers agents can read between the lines and instinctively know that their
listing is not "out of the running" when I say this and have thanked me. Occasionally I'll
get the "Are you kidding? You can't tell me anything? What am I supposed to tell my
sellers?"

How about the truth? That as a buyers agent I will not do anything to compromise future
negotiations on my buyers behalf. I won't tell you "The home is priced VERY well" or
"They need to clean it before expecting anyone to offer for it". Anything I say to you could
very well come back to bit me in the tush when I am in front of your sellers presenting
an offer on my buyers behalf.

With a few simple words I could unfairly compromise my buyers position in negotiations.

Stop calling me lazy. Stop calling me selfish. For the love of...stop calling me rude!

I'm just doing my job.

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Posted by Kris Wales - Macomb County MI real estate blog & homes for sale search site on 03/09/2008 07:10 AM

Comments (30)

buyers agent, macomb county, mi, sellers feedback

This post has been included in Michigan Information Macomb County, MI Information

30 Comments on Feedback after viewing a home - from a buyers agent perspective

MAR

2008

Kris,

I agree with you.

I do give feedback, my personal feedback, unless I am going to write an offer. Then my feedback may be in the form of questions. Since many agents automatically email feed the feedback to Sellers, that gets me the quickest response, if it is a lackadaisical agent.

Actually, I think an offer is the only credible feedback, though...

I posted this elsewhere:

Good Feedback:
An Offer.

Better feedback:
A properly written offer.

Best feedback:
A full list price+, all cash, no-appraisal, inspection, or repair contingency, 10% Earnest Money Deposit, complete written offer.
(Yeah, Cinderella, your foot DID fit into the glass slipper...)

Not so good feedback:
Everything else besides the first three.

Standing ovation...

Hura, huray She does exist an agent that does understand negotiating and the impact on results. I pride myself for listing property at what it sells for, one reason comunicate only what you have to until the deal is done. No need to trick or fool or hide, just honest fair strategies (not to mention good time management) to deal accordingly. I bet your a top agent in your area.

Sharkey says thank you.

Great Post Kris. It clearly helps define our role as a BA and clearly you do it well!

Mike: Please please please post your wonderful "feedback" definition in it's own post. It is SO well deserving of one of it's own! (Please don't misinterpret, I am thrilled you posted it here in a comment. But it is truly wonderful and deserves to be seen by the masses!)

Brian: Thank you very much. Top agent? Nope. But I sleep well :-) Yes, "communicate only what you have to" has been ingrained in me for so many years, I can't and simply won't change that now.

Nannette: Thank you. I think sellers agents sometimes forget this and mistakenly feel that the sellers are entitled to hear every little thing about what our clients have said. Not the case...

Kris,

"Thank you for your feedback.."

LOL

I'll do it.

Thanks for the post. I think it was much needed. Makes perfect sense.

Kris,

I have to admit that I never thought of feedback as compromising a client's ability to negotiate. Excellent point. Feedback has always been an interesting concept for me anyway. The good listing agent knows the reasons a property will not sell, and if the seller won't listen to the expert they hired, what difference does the remarks of strangers make? Great Post.

Mike: Thanks!

At least you give some feedback/response! I can read between the lines and would appreciate that type of feedback.

I do give feedback and appreciate the feedback. One thing I have learned is that if one of my listings shows well and I get a lot of negative feedback or nitpicky yuck, I know they like the house.....which helps me help my sellers!

Eugene: It's something I caution my sellers about when a home is first listed. Prepare them for *not* receiving detailed feedback and it won't be a surprise!

Richard: You nailed it! I don't believe there is an agent out there who doesn't know why a home isn't selling or receiving offers. If we need detailed feedback to talk to our seller clients about the "whys" then we're not doing our job to begin with...

Monika: Thanks. I *do* give feedback, but it may not be the descriptive feedback that sellers/agents want. Heck, I would get excited if an agent gave me feedback that said nothing more than "I can't talk about it right now.."

Gary: Yes, the read the between the lines part is all telling!

Kris, Excellent post and I agree with Brian who said it above. You understand the negotiation.

Karen: Thanks so much. If we always keep in mind who we work for we'd all find it so much easier to play in the sandbox.

In Ann Arbor some agents give it and some don't. From my listings I send out a questionaire automatically. I have about a 85% response rate. The questions are pretty vague, IMO. It asks about Condition, Price, Are they considering making an offer and a comment at the end.

I completely understand from a buyer agents perspective if the buyers have asked you to not respond, but as a listing agent, my sellers love and expect feedback of something.

I give feedback on every house I show as soon as I get home, I email them a few kind thoughts, and thank them for allowing me to show their home. The other agents love it because they don't have to track me down and it keeps good will amongst each other.

Missy: I *do* give feedback, all that I am comfy giving. I do not however do it right away, as most of the time my buyer clients haven't absorbed all that we've seen yet and usually want to sleep on things.

Often I get the automated feedback request forms and I will fill them out but not in their entirety unless I have my buyers permission.

Example: Condition? If I say "good" then come in with a low offer based upon condition (updates needed, etc) then I feel as if I'm shooting myself (and my buyers) in the foot. Price? I won't touch that one if there is a chance of interest from my buyers.

I do understand about wanting to keep good will amongst other agents, but I think I do that AND keep my buyers interest in the forefront all at the same time.

If my clients have no interest at all in the property then I will go into much more detail, with their blessing, both from my perspective and from the buyers perspective.

Kris - excellent post and great way of showing the "flip side" of the coin! Thanks for posting this great point of view and here's to the debate it may start! :)

Leesa: I'm hoping it doesn't start a heated debate..I'd like to keep it public :-)

We view 'basic' (not detailed that might compromise negotiations) feedback as a courtesy to the seller, not the listing agent. The listing agent most certainly should know if there are any trouble spots in the listing already and should have made the seller aware of them. Some feedback may help to reinforce what the listing agent has already told the seller but as everyone else has already said, the only feedback of any real value is an offer to purchase.

Also, sometimes an agent will say that the listing is 'priced too high' when in fact it is priced well below any sold comparables. What the buyers agent 'meant' is that it is priced higher than the buyer wants to spend. So, of course, the question then becomes, "Why did you show it if it is out of their price range?" The answer is often, "I don't know." ?????????

Tim and Susan: I also view the feedback in the same way and will give it when I have permission to do so by my client. Believe me, I don't want a seller to become upset with me if I'm going to be seeing them in a negotiating situation a few weeks later. I am polite, I do return the calls/emails, but I may not say what they want to hear. I did not say I ignore feedback requests, quite the contrary. I will call/email each agent that requests it, and either give them the detailed feedback, or tell them the reason I am holding off on doing so.

Showing homes out of reach of a buyers price range is something I don't do, so I haven't yet had to deal with those types of situations as you described.

Any feedback at all would be great even if I have to read between the lines...many won't even give feedback, they should appreciate the fact you do ! Great post !

Kris--I only ask 3 questions on my feedback form was the interior/exterior as expected? Are you considering a 2nd showing...if no why not? What price do you think the home will sell for? An agent can also leave comments.

I can usually tell from the feedback if a buyer has interest...They have taken a packet of materials and disclosures from the home and they don't respond to the price and limit the comments.

Any agent that gives too much information when the client is considering a home is not doing their job.

I wrote a post over a year ago that "feedback is a scam for the weak". I hope that isn't too controversial because I would like you to keep this public also.

I do enter around 100-150 homes a week. I do rentals, BPOs and work with buyers. First off, unless my clients have submitted an application or offer, odds are I do not remember the home, sorry. Second, you are on to something with agency. It is up to the list agent to be current with market conditions and have the ability to determine pricing along with counseling in regards to condition of the house (updating, clutter, etc.)

If a seller is not seeing an offer, it's time to reduce the price, plain and simple. Sales are motivated by pricing and value: period, the end, goodnight, sleep tight.

If agents are wasting time making phone calls to other agents in regards to feedback, they should turn that time into something valuable like making calls to their database who may be interested in a home like that.

Here's some more food for thought: why would I assume that when I ask for feedback from an agent that they use the same diligence to pre-qualify a buyer that I do? What I am saying is that my buyers jump through hoops and are thoroughly pre-qualified through a lender and pre-screened with time lines and criteria. Why would I assume that every buyer's agent acts the same as me? How do I not know (without delving into agency or getting a bigger interview with an agent) that they picked up said buyer though a sign call on one of their listings in the next subdivision and showing them every listing in a two mile radius whether it would be something they want or something they need or something they are even qualified to buy.

NOW I WILL give feedback if there is something wrong in a vacant house OR if the agent has blatantly entered wrong information to make it memorable. I do NOT like crossing the boundaries of an agency relationship. You are right on Kris!

I would love that for feedback on a showing - thanks for sharing this

Kris, You bring up a very good point. As a listing broker I don't expect feedback, I appreciate it but I don't expect it. I also let my sellers know at time of listing that they may or may not get feedback when someone looks at their home. I already know of the property is overpriced, or needs work or is dated or whatever. I don't need a buyers agent telling me these things. Of course sometimes it does help to back up what I have already told the sellers.

MAR

2008

Love the new site.. fantastic!

Melissa: Thanks hon. I guess I see it differently when I work for the sellers. I tell them early on that the only feedback we should care about is whether a 2nd showing appointment will be made. I also hold open houses at my listings, so that I can hear for myself what potential buyers are thinking.

Teri: The first 2 questions on your feedback request form I would probably answer, the third one (about price) I won't touch, for reasons I stated above. I do like it though that you keep it very simple.

Renee: Wow. (Where to start?) First, you have to be exhausted! (100-150 homes a week?) But when I stop to think about it, on my "busy" weeks I can look at that many also.

I used to jot down notes at each home whether my clients liked the home or not. I did that so that I could give detailed feedback to the agents. When I realized that this wasn't in my clients best interest UNLESS I had their approval to do so I stopped doing that.

You are so right about not all buyers being pre-qualified in the same manner of due diligence that your buyers are. So many showings on listings I suspect are from people who really have no intention of buying and are simply curious about the home, or are people who have their home listed and are checking out the competition. Can they give an honest evaluation of the home with the same intent? Probably not.

I'm going to go through your blog and find the post that you referenced. Thanks so much Renee.

Thesa: I would be very excited for my sellers if I received feedback saying "I can't talk about it yet!".

Bryant: Thank you for your comment. Yes, I can understand why it would help reinforce what you have been telling your sellers. I personally am of the opinion that the days-on-market with no offers is enough of a reinforcement!

Rick Charming: Thanks sweetie. Coming from you that means alot!

My complaint is when the agent doesn't leave a business card, and then won't return my feedback requests, calls or emails. This happens to me quite frequently. My sellers and I have no idea if the agent and buyers even viewed the home.

MAR

2008

Mike: That is frustrating when that happens. Normally we see that on vacant homes - an agent doesn't feel the same need to leave a card letting the seller know they were there. I tell my sellers "move on.." and forget about it.

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