Hi All,

Don'cha hate this, you get a call from a client wanting to see a home (well I don't hate that part :-).  Naturally, the home they most want to see is the one that is listed as "appointment only, no key safe", so I dutifully called the listing agent at all 4 given numbers (by the way, as of now, 10:08 PM, the following day, I have yet to receive a call back) and left messages asking to view the home.

The property is a Short Sale and has been on the market for 230 days... so far.  Well, no wonder, no key safe, appointment only, no sign, no response... So I started ranting to my poor hubby (who is usually the patient audience for my Oscar worthy performances), What the heck is wrong with this agent?  Do they really want to sell this house or do they just want to list it? And then it hit me - that was exactly what they wanted to do, and they were not alone, there are dozens if not hundreds of agents like them... "Listing" Agents.

Please don't misunderstand, I am not talking about the responsible, highly skilled agents who choose to specialize in working with the owners of the property and who do everything in their power to service their clients and sell the home.  I am talking about "Listing" Agents - folks who will take any and every listing they can get their grubby little paws on no matter what they have to do, offer or agree to in order to get them.

They will take a Short Sale without investigating whether or not its a doable deal.  And then despite the time critical nature of this transaction, they will agree to not use a keysafe and show the home by appointment only (but are unavailable when anyone tries to make an appointment).  They will put the listing on the MLS with no photo (sometimes for months despite possible penalties) or with a picture of the exterior only, taken from the next county.  They have never heard of flyers.  They will advertise the home as "drive by only".  And, of course, they don't have a cell phone and even if they do, they never, and I mean NEVER answer their calls. 

Of course they don't discriminate, they give all their clients the same level of "service".

All they are interested in is getting the listing - not selling the home, or helping the people, just getting the listing.  And get them they do.  But sell them they don't.  A search of the MLS will show that quite plainly.  Fortunately, I don't count myself among them.  I consider myself a Selling Agent.

Sure, I am as excited as the next girl when I am given the opportunity to help someone sell their home.  And I am equally excited when I am given the opportunity to help someone buy one.  But I think the key motivation for me is being given the chance to help someone.  Its not the "deal" that drives me, its the people. 

And so, much like Glinda asked Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, I shall paraphrase and ask you - "Are you "listing" Agent or a Selling Agent? 

Take care all, help lots of people and have a wonderful day!

Tisza