Let me preface this blog entry by stating that I represent more sellers than buyers. In my office, most buyers that come here are represented by one of our full time Buyer's Agents. So most of my time is devoted to talking to sellers.

When we get a call that someone wants to see your home, if someone calls our office, a Buyer's Agent takes them to your home. When that happens, our office knows who the buyer is and if they are qualified (we pre-qualify all of our buyers before bringing them through your home).

Also, another agent from a different firm can call in, and bring a buyer to see your home. In that case, we may or may not know who the buyer is, and we don't get the opportunity to pre-qualify them or ask questions about them and their situation.

Either way, no matter who shows the property, the Buyer's Agent shows the buyer the home and what happens next? Of course you, the seller, are sitting on pins and needles waiting for your own agent to call you with feedback. Sometimes we call right away (if the other agent calls us immediately after leaving the house) but more likely than not it will take hours (or even days) to get the other agent's feedback. Even the speediest agent won't normally call or email us with feedback immediately. Usually they wait till they get back to the office, or in the office the next day even, to contact the listing agent. That is, if they're even courteous enough to call in the first place! Not all agents are.

The bottom line is that you cannot count on your agent to call you quickly with a REASON why the buyer liked or didn't like your home. Frequently the Buyer's Agent is showing 3 or 5 or even 10 houses to a buyer! They go in and out of all the houses in the area in their price range, and quickly forget to respond to the Listing Agent. Some are just forgetful (which is why we call/email them after a showing). Others do it on purpose. They say they don't have time to give feedback to a seller's agent, or they just don't believe it's their job.

Some agents, in fact, won't call to report feedback at all. They believe the only feedback the seller needs is if they write a contract: that means the buyer likes the house! No contract, no feedback, then the buyer obviously doesn't want the house. I dislike that mentality and work hard to call/email (harass!) the Buyer's Agent to tell me WHY the buyer doesn't want the property. Some agents take offense at this. Others will give a reason or two.

Buying a house is very personal. It's a gut decision, not always a brain decision. Some buyers probably cannot even articulate why they do or don't want your home.

I know this hurts, when you're the seller. You want to hear truthful feedback about what buyers think about your home. You want to know why they are not making an offer. We'll do our very best to get you answers, but please know that part of this is out of our control. We cannot make buyers give us feedback, just like we cannot make them make you an offer.

So just take "no feedback" as a part of the selling your home process. If it happens, when it happens, just blow it off and move on to the next buyer. It's nothing personal against you. I personally believe it's the Buyer's Agent responsibility to give us some sort of feedback after each and every showing, but then again I mostly work for sellers!

www.move2pennsylvania.com

www.EricaRamus.com