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Just Because It's a Short Sale Doesn't Mean It Doesn't Deserve Adequate Marketing

By Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker

Real Estate Agent with Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker DRE #00697006

January 04, 2009 02:58 AM

Everybody is trying to save money these days. Some do it by decreasing services or charging extra for things that were previously free. It's not my imagination that airline seats, for example, are being moved around. Airlines that used to tout "extra legroom" have changed their mottos.

We flew United to Hawaii over Christmas, and economy class seating was so restricted that my knees were practically to my chin, and I'm not a tall person. The plane was packed, a full flight, so I couldn't change seats.

On the way back, we had a stopover in LAX. When we printed our boarding passes in Kauai, we were given the option to upgrade our seats on the last leg for $70 each. It didn't seem worth it for an hour flight. But the gate was empty at LAX, so I asked the guy at the ticket counter if we could move our seats. He upgraded us to row 5 at no charge.

My husband insisted there was no difference in legroom on that flight, but it seemed much more spacious to me, so I asked the flight attendant. Sure enough, rows 1 through 9 on that plane featured additional legroom, premium plus, I think she called it.

I realize airlines are hurting, but do they need to squash us in like a can of sardines?

It reminds me of the marketing I see for short sale listings in Sacramento. Some agents don't like to take short sales or expect they won't sell, which is why, I presume, they don't include photographs or market those listings in the same way they would for a regular seller who was not a short sale seller. I see them tossed into MLS, some without so much as a few sentences to describe the home -- they leave the marketing comments blank. If there are photos, half of them are black and you can't make out whether you're looking at a bedroom or a bathroom.

Just because a listing is a short sale or a low-priced listing doesn't mean those sellers don't deserve the same superior service an agent would deliver to another client. It shouldn't matter whether the home is listed at $100,000 or $1,000,000, clients deserve premium marketing regardless.

Photo: Elizabeth Weintraub, 8621 Sebrell near Elk Grove, CA, in 95823, and listed at $175,750.

The Short Sale, by Elizabeth Weintraub, coming from publisher Archer Ellison in January 2009.

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Tom Braatz Waukesha County Real Estate 262-377-1459

Coldwell Banker - Oconomowoc, WI

Waukesha County Realtor Real Estate agent. SOLD!

Elizabeth

You give it your all.

Tom Braatz

Jan 04, 2009 04:21 AM

Debi Ernst

St. Charles County, Missouri - Prudential Alliance Realtors - O'Fallon, MO

GRI, e-PRO, Broker/Sales Associate

Elizabeth - I agree. I think you should do your best with each listing. :)

Jan 04, 2009 05:10 AM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

I agree about the premium marketing needed for any price range Elizabeth. We have to give it our all to move product. I relate also to the short leg room. On my Christmas travel with my tall self in the airline seat I thought I was going to get the deep leg thrombosis for a 2 hr 45 minute trip. It was awful. Maybe I need the aisle seat to walk the cabin. Don't even get me ranting on the bag charges and overweight charges, not to mention huge change flight charges. Airline travel, I have concluded, is even less fun than the previous year.

Jan 04, 2009 08:46 AM

Tammy Lankford,

Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA

Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

I agree with you on this one and in fact I use it as an advertising to get listings in letters I mail out to off water properties as opposed to the ones we sell on the lake. We advertise them in all the same places, take just as many photos and make the same fliers for the property. I've been told more than once by a seller client that he was glad I didn't have the "I don't have time to fool with your property attitude"

Jan 04, 2009 10:05 AM

Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL

Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL

Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

Elizabeth,

it's not but you see it happening in Sacrament, and I see it here in Daytona. No additional pictures (we have MLS fines if there is no pictures, so they put only one), no description. Very lazy operation.

Jan 04, 2009 10:09 AM

Anonymous

I hope you had a good time on Kauai and found some sunshine.

Jan 04, 2009 11:16 AM

Julie A. Black

KAUAI DREAMS REALTY Kauai Real Property Specialist - Kapaa, HI

CLHMS, CRS, GRI, Realtor, Broker

(I'll log in this time.) I hope you had a good time on Kauai and found some sunshine. :) Aloha Julie

Jan 04, 2009 11:19 AM

Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker

Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA

Put 40 years of experience to work for you

Hi Gary: I agree, what the airlines are doing is atrocious. Next time I fly, I'm checking the legroom for each seat before I book it and booking my trip far enough in advance that I can be relatively assured of a good seat assignment. But bear in mind, if the flight isn't full, you can still change your seat assignment at the gate for FREE, unlike what you can do online. I've been flying Southwest a lot, and you don't have that problem on Southwest, nor do you have to pay extra for baggage checking. I'm never flying United again.

Hi Jon: There are a ton of reasons why agents drop the ball. None of them excusable, though.

Hi Tammy: I've spoken with many agents in this market who won't take the lower-priced listings, nor will they bother with the short sale listings. I don't discriminate and never well. I'm in this business to help sellers and buyers, whether they are million-dollar-plus clients or $100,000 clients. Makes no difference to me. It's the same job, regardless.

Hi Julie: I had a blast in Hawaii, with and without my teeth! :) I imagine I'll run into the guy I met at the elevator sometime later this year, and he'll say to me, "You look familiar. Have you been to Kauai?" Laugh as you may, but it's a small world. LOL. I'm glad I'm getting my permanent teeth in a few months. Wearing a partial is the pits. It's like wearing a denture. I don't know how people do it.

Jan 04, 2009 12:20 PM

Tim Bradley

Contour Investment Properties - Jackson Hole, WY

Commercial Real Estate Expert in Jackson Hole, WY

It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy - don't market it, and sure enough, it doesn't sell. Why take the listing if you aren't going to put in the work?

Jan 04, 2009 12:50 PM

Amy Salisbury

Leading Edge Properties - Charles Town, WV

West Virginia Realtor/Jefferson/Berkeley

Elizabeth - This is a great point. A sale is a sale...why wouldn't you at least add enough decent photos and description to market the property. You're already paying for the MLS, USE IT! Even houses that need TLC can be marketed: there are lots of buyers out there looking for just that.

Jan 04, 2009 09:41 PM

Sheldon Neal

Bergen County, NJ - RE/MAX Real Estate Limited - Maywood, NJ

That British Agent Bergen County NJ

What a great point ! - I see it all the time in NJ too. One (or no) pictures on the short sale listing, and brief, terse comments as if they are telling you 'dont bother showing this home - it's gonna be a nightmare transaction" ...

Well said Elizabeth !

Jan 05, 2009 03:20 AM

Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker

Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA

Put 40 years of experience to work for you

Hi Tim, Amy and Sheldon: You know, I took 3 short sale listings last month, and each sold within a week or so, all with multiple offers -- one had 7 offers. Some of these short sale listings I see in MLS scream, "The seller MADE me list this, and I didn't wanna do it."

Jan 05, 2009 07:48 AM

Robin Rogers

Robin Rogers, Silverbridge Realty, San Antonio, Texas - San Antonio, TX

CRS, TRC, MRP - Real Estate Investment Adviser

Hi, Elizabeth! You're so right about short sale and REO listings. The agent should put lots of information in the remarks and put in the maximum number of photos so the buyers can see what the home is like. They are looking for a bargain these days, so lure them in!

Cheers,

Robin

Jan 11, 2009 03:38 AM