This morning I read a member's only post that questioned the custom of buyers agents giving listing agents showing feedback. I left a comment on that post, but decided I actually have more to say on the topic.
Firstly I want to say that I really don't care about getting feedback on my listings. At least not for myself. I work closely with my sellers to help them prepare their houses for the market, I already know its pros and cons. That said, my sellers have sometimes spent months preparing the house for sale. And it doesn't stop when it's listed. That's when the real fun begins and they're expect to leave the house tidy and "showing ready" at a moment's notice - regardless of how many kids or dogs they've got! Is it any wonder they want to know what these perfect strangers who showed an interest in their house think? I don't think sellers expecting feedback is an outdated custom. I see it more as a courtesy to the seller to acknowledge their hard work in making the showing happen in the first place.
Of course when we represent buyers as their buyer's agent we need to be cautious giving feedback and not compromise our fiduciary duty to our buyer clients. There are ways of doing that and mostly it's a case of keeping it short and just saying the house shows well. We all know that sellers are secretly hoping the showing will result in an offer. Feedback, even if it is wishy-washy feedback, stops them from spending too long wondering about that. (That for me is a big motivator to approach buyers agents for feedback. Anytime I can ease the worry element for my sellers, I'm in). From the buyer's agent's perspective, apart from anything else this request for feedback means they're talking to the listing agent. A good buyer's agent knows that if they're smart about it they'll get more out of that discussion than they give. This is a really big bonus if their buyer clients are interested in the house and just haven't decided which way to go yet.
In my opinion giving showing feedback achieves several goals. It keeps the sellers happy. It keeps the listing agent happy. It may also end up with the buyer's agent getting information about a house, (or the sellers), that they otherwise wouldn't have gotten. If my buyer clients are interested in the house, then that's a win for them too. Negotiating a contract goes a whole lot easier if you start off with goodwill!
Whether you're buying or selling a home, hiring a good real estate agent will be the key to getting the best result in your real estate transaction. If you’re looking for the right Realtor® to help you navigate the complexities of the Iowa City area real estate market, all the while looking out for you and your money, sound advice and guidance is just a phone call, text or email away. Call Denise now at 319-400-0268.
Comments (49)Subscribe to CommentsComment