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Hey, You're NOT The Listing Agent!

By
Real Estate Agent with Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com SAL.2002007747

 

condo for saleIf you're a Cincinnati home buyer and surfing the internet for homes for sale, chances are you're NOT going to be reaching out to the listing agent unless you REALLY understand how Internet marketing works.  Now later we'll touch on whether or not you SHOULD be trying to reach the listing agent!

First, there are a multitude of sites that provide details about the homes for sale in our area.  Some provide only the agent listed homes (e.g. individual agent and local brokerage sites, national brokerage sites, etc.).  Others may provide For Sale By Owner homes only.  Other sites may provide a mix of the two with varying degree of accuracy.

What they all tend to do is provide the listing agent (or brokerage) information somewhere on the home's information page.  The information may be easy to find, or not so easy, but it SHOULD be there somewhere if you REALLY want to reach the listing agent and only the listing agent.

However, likely to be more prominent and easier to find will be a "Contact Agent" or "Request More Information" button.  So where does your information go when you fill out one of those contact forms?

Well, if it's a brokerage site your contact information will be provided to an agent that serves the area OR it may go direct to the listing agent.  That second option is what happens if you go onto Remax.com AND request information on the RE/MAX listed home, otherwise it goes to another RE/MAX agent.

If it's on a personal agent's website, your contact information is going to the agent who pays for the website or someone from that agent's team.

And if you're own a national website that syndicates listings (e.g. Realtor.com, Zillow.com, etc.), your contact information is most likely going to an agent that pays to advertise on that site.  It's those ads that keep the lights on for those websites and why some agents shell out serious dollars to make sure they're the ones who get your request.

Now which agent is best for you to contact?

Maybe the answer is NONE of the above.

The listing agent works FOR the seller, NOT the buyer.  As such they can't tell you the things that might be MOST useful for you to know.  Things such as "the home is overpriced", "there's a better house for your needs two streets over".  And some of the things you WANT the listing agent to tell you...like how low of a price the seller will take?  or why are they moving?  Those are questions the agent cannot ethically answer without permission from the seller. And don't fall for the myth that the listing agent will automatically cut their commission and give you a better deal if you come unrepresented.

And if you get the agent advertising on the side, you might be doing well, or you might not. The agent might be a very successful, experienced agent that can afford those thousands and thousands of advertising fees.  But even if they're successful, they may still not be the right agent for your needs. 

Why not?  Perhaps your area of interest is on the fringes of their service area.  Or perhaps you need specialty expertise.  For instance, we specialize in patio homes and we DON'T advertise on the syndicators' sites.  Nope, instead we publish tons of patio home information on sites we own and control. 

You might find similar specialists if you're looking for a horse farm, or riverfront property, midcentury moderns, historic homes, or some other specialty type of housing. 

General advertising on the national and syndication sites isn't going to guarantee you're going to get matched up with those experts  In fact, we'll almost guarantee this it won't!  If you need a specialist, you need to do a search outside of those sites to find the agent you actually need.  And odds are strong, it WON'T be the listing agent! 

Ready to get started?  Call 513-520-5305 or email Liz@LizSpear.com.

Serving Cincinnati home buyers and sellers,

Liz and Bill aka BLiz 

 

Posted by

Serving Warren County Ohio & Adjacent Areas

The Liz Spear Team of Transaction Alliance
Elizabeth Spear, ABR, Ohio License SAL.2002007747

William (Bill) Spear, Ohio License SAL.2004011109  Kentucky 77938
Ask for us by name if you visit the office!

EHO
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Liz Direct: 513-265-3004     
Fax: 866-302-8418

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Comments (49)

Tony and Suzanne Marriott, Associate Brokers
Serving the Greater Phoenix and Scottsdale Metropolitan Area - Scottsdale, AZ
Haven Express @ Keller Williams Arizona Realty

Liz and Bill Spear "The listing agent works FOR the seller, NOT the buyer...And don't fall for the myth that the listing agent will automatically cut their commission and give you a better deal if you come unrepresented."

Right on target - and - re-blog!

Dec 06, 2017 03:18 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Thanks for the reblog!

Dec 06, 2017 04:40 AM
Lynn Stoner
Mid-South Title Insurance Agency, LLC - Plantation, FL
Licensed Title Agent

Excellent article.

Dec 06, 2017 03:42 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Thanks!

Dec 06, 2017 04:40 AM
JoAnn Young
Young & Young Properties - Melbourne, FL
Florida Real Estate

A very good read for internet shoppers!  Reposted!

Dec 06, 2017 04:02 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Thanks!

Dec 06, 2017 04:41 AM
Donna Quinlan
Keller Williams Realty - Newburyport, MA
Keller Williams Realtor & Career Consultant

This is a much needed article. Many buyers still do not understand how the system works or who is representing who. You explained it well!

Dec 06, 2017 04:28 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

We'll keep trying to get the message out.

Dec 06, 2017 04:41 AM
Marney Kirk
Cummings & Co. Realtors - Towson, MD
Towson, Maryland Real Estate

BLiz, this is a great way to explain how internet advertising works!

Dec 06, 2017 04:56 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Thanks!

Dec 06, 2017 10:12 AM
Scott Godzyk
Godzyk Real Estate Services - Manchester, NH
One of the Manchester NH's area Leading Agents

Two lessons that pop out are most buyers do not know what a buyer agent is or the value a buyer agent can provide to them. Next, most buyer clicking on national sites, do think the agent they click on is who they should be working with. It does not make it right, but it is what the masses think Liz and Bill Spear 

Dec 06, 2017 05:32 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

And it's going to take a lot of educating to get the masses to know the differences.

Dec 06, 2017 10:12 AM
John F Muscarella
RIVER FARM PROPERTIES, LLC - Venice, FL
Broker/Owner, Venice, FL, Florida's Suncoast

A great post for several reasons.  Good for agents, buyers and sellers alike.  Enjoyed your perspective.

Dec 06, 2017 05:54 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Thanks!  I tend to have an ample supply of perspective :)

Dec 06, 2017 10:12 AM
Chris Lima
Turtle Reef Realty - Port St Lucie, FL
Local or Global-Allow me to open doors for you.

This is a well written and easy to understand post.  It can be very confusing for the consumers on those sites.

Dec 06, 2017 05:56 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

It can be, so hopefully this post can help clarify it for some.

Dec 06, 2017 10:13 AM
Brian Rugg
Rugg Realty LLC Sun City Texas 512-818-6700 - Georgetown, TX
Sun City TX Real Estate - Georgetown, TX Real Est

Selecting an agent that is "right for you" is tricky business and nothing is worse than being stuck with a lousy agent.  I also especially liked "And don't fall for the myth that the listing agent will automatically cut their commission and give you a better deal if you come unrepresented."

Dec 06, 2017 06:00 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

It can be a challenge, especially if you need a specialty agent.  I had another agent calling me today about my niche.  Her buyers want what I know, but the agent clearly doesn't know the niche well enough to best represent them.

Dec 06, 2017 10:14 AM
John Wiley
Fort Myers, FL
Lee County, FL, ECO Broker, GRI, SRES,GREEN,PSA

Thanks for giving Buyers a clear description of how the Internet listings work.

Many buyers think they understand what they are getting but in fact they are miss-informed. 

I agree that Buyers should understand why working with the Listing Agent may not always be in their best interest.

I hope that the Consumer will read this post and learn from it.

Thanks for sharing.

Dec 06, 2017 06:03 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

There may be times it makes sense to use the listing agent, but in general it's probably not the best course of action for the consumer

Dec 06, 2017 10:56 AM
Shirley Coomer
Keller Williams Realty Sonoran Living - Phoenix, AZ
Realtor, Keller Williams Realty, Phoenix Az

Great article to explain how internet marketing works.  So often buyers think they will get a better "deal" with the listing agent.  Not really true!

Dec 06, 2017 06:20 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

I've seen enough of those dual agent deals where the buyer thinks they got a great deal, but they overpaid.  But hey..."I got X% of the agent's commission!!".

Dec 06, 2017 10:57 AM
Jan Green - Scottsdale, AZ
Value Added Service, 602-620-2699 - Scottsdale, AZ
HomeSmart Elite Group, REALTOR®, EcoBroker, GREEN

Excellent post as to why a buyer searching online should have his own agent as his fiduciary, looking out for his/her best interests! 

Dec 06, 2017 06:59 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

It just makes sense to have someone who is ONLY interested in finding a buyer the RIGHT house and not just THAT house.

Dec 06, 2017 10:58 AM
Peggy James
SAMSON PROPERTIES - Woodbridge, VA
Woodbridge Virginia Area Real Estate Specialist

Liz and Bill, I love this post. Such a wonderful breakdown for the home buying consumer. Buyers are no aware of how having a Buyers Agent can really benefit them, no matter whether they are buying a resale home or a new build.  Re-blogging this....

why home buyers need a Buyers Agent versus calling a Listing Agent

Dec 06, 2017 07:55 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Oh....definitely an issue with buyers thinking they don't need an agent for new construction.  But same issues as with the listing agent, the builder's rep can't say you're overpaying or there's a better match with a competitor.

Dec 06, 2017 10:59 AM
L. Scott Ferguson
Ask4Ferguson - Your House-SOLD Name in Real Estate - West Palm Beach, FL
Sunny Florida Real Estate Professional

Real Estate 101! And LOVE how you explained it!  Hope all is going well in Cincy!

Dec 06, 2017 08:07 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

I bet it's colder here than on your turf :)

Dec 06, 2017 10:59 AM
Anonymous
synthia noble

Well said. I scratch my head every time a buyer makes every effort to reach the list agent directly. I try to explain the process to buyers, sometimes they persist - I want the list agent! In those situations, I figure they are likely not someone I want to work with anyway, so I suggest they drive by the house and get the phone number of the list agent.

Dec 06, 2017 08:13 AM
#43
Carolyn Roland- In Delaware and S. Chester County PA
Independent architectural histor'n - Wilmington, DE
Carolyn Roland, GRI, CRS

I wonder how buyers get the idea the listing agent will cut the commission if they sell their own listing. I tell them that buyers cannot control the commission. It is written in the listing contract (unless the contract says the commission will change depending on who sells it--I NEVER do this).

Dec 06, 2017 08:31 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Too many articles out there suggesting the listing agent will give up commission to get the deal done, so buyers think it's the norm when it's not.

Dec 06, 2017 11:00 AM
Dorte Engel
RE/MAX Leading Edge - Bowie, MD
ABC - Annapolis, Bowie, Crofton & rest of Maryland

Dear BLiz,

Good get someone, who can help you with your specific needs.

Dec 06, 2017 01:51 PM
Liz and Bill Spear

Matching up with the right agent can make all the difference in finding the right home AND having a smooth path to closing.

Dec 06, 2017 04:34 PM
Mike Cooper, Broker VA,WV
Cornerstone Business Group Inc - Winchester, VA
Your Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Pro

Bliz, we deal with this a couple times a year. I'm not 100% sure why a buyer thinks he can get a better deal from the listing agent. I don't think I've ever seen that happen.

Dec 07, 2017 05:34 PM
Liz and Bill Spear

I think one too many articles in a magazine or online that tells them exactly that.  Unfortunately the authors of those articles are people that rent an apartment and don't actually have the expertise to be handing out real estate advice.

Dec 10, 2017 07:59 PM
Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL
Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

Our customers search internet, find the most intimate details, have so much knowledge, and somehow do not understand what you are writing about. SO much info, and then making a stupid move, and it happens too often

Dec 09, 2017 07:02 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

So much information, so little understanding of the contexts the information could provide them.

Dec 10, 2017 08:00 PM
Jean Alicea
Home suite Homes, Inc. - West Palm Beach, FL
Home suite Homes

I don't know about realtors in your area but your assumption that listing agents are not going to work with buyers as well as a buyers agent is not true overall. Here in the south Florida market, I am a transaction broker which means I can work with both the buyer and seller simultaneously. I have never had a conflict as I believe that it is all about bringing buyers and sellers together to create a sale. I do have a long sales background so this does help in negotiations whereas many realtors do not have sales experience. I believe lack of sales experience creates more problems than whether or not the listing agent or a buyers'agent should be contacted by potential buyers. I take my responsibility very seriously whether I work with sellers, buyers or both.

Dec 10, 2017 07:27 PM
Liz and Bill Spear

Jean, You call it transaction, the same situation here is dual agency.  Yes, I CAN represent both sides.  However, that being neutral means I'm not doing the best I can for EITHER side, but making sure the transaction sticks (assuming neither side wants to bail out).  I can't in that situation do as well for a client as if I was working solely for one side.  Yes, the buyer and seller will most likely finish with a "successful" transaction since the home will transfer, but most likely not on the absolute best terms for one side or the other.

Dec 10, 2017 08:02 PM
Jean Alicea
I disagree. I make sure that both sides are happy since I am looking for long term business and my reputation is also on the line
Dec 13, 2017 01:17 AM