Is Your House For Sale Part Time?

Wednesday I was driving around a neighborhood looking for houses that were For Sale By Owner.

I came upon a house that was listed with a local agent whom I have not had much contact with.  I remembered seeing it on the internet but sometimes the houses all seem to mix in your mind and a fresh preview for my buyer is always a good idea, especially with a very high inventory on the market right now.

I called the agent's cell phone and got her voice mail.  Now I was sitting in the driveway at this point and thought I remembered this house being vacant.  There was a lockbox on the door.   Then there should be no problem, right?   WRONG!

Yesterday I got a call from an enraged agent who happens to like getting both sides of a sale.  Honestly, we all like to get our own listings sold but our goal should be to expose our listings and make them available to all agents as much as possible.

Exceptions being; a dog is in the house, a sick child, an ailing family member etc.  In such case the lockbox should be removed!

The agent proceeded to tell me that these people were very sensitive about their house being shown and that I should have made an appointment.  I tried!  She (the agent) was not available!!! & I had mistaken this house with another that was vacant and had a lockbox.

Now my questions are:

1. Is this the response that you want agents to have when they see your house?
2. Are you serious about selling you house?
3. Do you want someone elses house to sell instead of yours because the agent wasn't available?
   

Wherever you are there are good agents and not so good agents, the job of the seller is to choose which agent will most closely represent you, the homeowner. 

It is vital especially in the current "buyers market" that every opportunity for showing your home be made available and that all roadblocks be removed.

To me, as a Realtor, it appeared that these owners wanted their home exposed and open for showings as much as possible or they would not allow a lockbox on the door.  In my opinion, the challenge was not with the owners but rather with the Realtor that they chose. 

Things that you can do as a seller:

• Interview a few agents so that you have a more rounded perspective to choose from.
  
• Ask your Realtor to show you the full agent view of the listing so you can see if there is anything on there that would hinder showings.
• Put all valuable items out of sight, packed away or in a safe deposit box, so that you have no fear of something turning up missing.
• If you have a dog you may need to isolate the dog either outside, in a garage or a room that is clearly labeled "Dog inside Do Not Enter"
  

Proper exposure for your home is the number 1 reason why you hire a Realtor.  The areas of exposure that are most appropriate but not limited to are:

• MLS
• Accurate Market Value Pricing
• Accessibility
• Fair & reasonable commission
• Internet advertising
• Plenty of Pictures
• Virtual Tours if possible

Because this is the sign we all want to see!

If you have a home in Ocala Florida that you are thinking of selling, it would be my honor to give you the full benefit of resources and exposure that I possibly can to get your house SOLD!

I also can assist you in finding and interviewing agents anywhere in the country who can properly market your house to bring about a sale.  Don't settle for less!  Expect and insist on the service you deserve.