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I Wish I Could Tell You What Your Agent ISN'T Doing to Sell Your Home...

By
Real Estate Agent with Allen Tate Company

Have you ever wanted to contact a homeseller and say "Do you really know what your Agent is (or isn't) doing to market your home?"

I so want to do that right now. Just a shory anonymous note (don't want to get fined or anything).

Just want to say...

Dear Homeowner..

I just saw that you listed your house for sale. You have a lovely sign on your front lawn. A customer of mine saw your home on ListingBook the other day and had some questions.

She wanted to know the condition - Your agent only has 5 old photos of the outside of the house.
She asked about the kitchen and baths - I don't know, no pictures.
She asked when she could see it - Again, no idea says no showings until after open house.
She asked when the Open House was - I said, No idea, it is not on the listing.

I did call your agent, left her 2 voice mails, maybe when you speak with her you can ask her to return her phone calls.

Or maybe she is just keeping it quiet so she can sell it herself.

Want to wish you luck with your sale, and when you expire and are ready to really sell it - I'll be in touch!!

Signed
Anonymous

Agents who do things like this frustrate me. She is not a new agent, but she does this on ALL her listings. Guess she just wants to get both sides of everything. She has incomplete/incorrect listings, and if you do want to show one of her properties she makes you jump through hoops to do it.

She is the opposite of everything that I try to be and it just gets me angry when people list with people like her.

I put up the maximum number of pictures on MLS
I make sure to have complete ACCURATE information
Homes are displayed throughout the internet
Brokers and public Open Houses are scheduled and advertising.
I tend to get my listings written up in the local newspapers.

My job is to SELL your home I SELL houses, I don't collect them. If you have a customer, please show my homes.

Thanks for letting me vent, now maybe my head won't explode.

 

 

Comments (115)

Patricia Aulson
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOME SERVICES Verani Realty NH Real Estate - Exeter, NH
Realtor - Portsmouth NH Homes-Hampton NH Homes

I agree with Bill Gillhespy above and the comment about ....you aren't not calling and reporting this to the proper authorities. This is the only way to handle this kind of thing properly.  By the way, there is nothing wrong w/ DDA it's been done for years and done well indeed.

 

Patricia

Nov 28, 2009 11:29 AM
BethAnn Long
RE/MAX of Spokane - Spokane, WA
Realtor, CRS, e-PRO, CLHMS Spokane Wa Real Estate

This just happened to me, and it should have been my listing!

I sold them the house, they got divorced, now it is back on the market with another agent because I am "too good of friends with the wife", with  a few CRAPPY PHOTO'S and NO VIRTUAL TOUR. It lookis terrible on the MLS and I would have made it look GREAT! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Nov 28, 2009 11:38 AM
Alan Grizzle
Chestatee Real Estate - Dahlonega, GA
Full Time Realtor, Lifelong Resident of Dahlonega

I love it when I pick up a expired listing that had a lazy agent before. It makes me look great to the seller and they refer everyone they talk to to me.

Nov 28, 2009 11:41 AM
Lori Cain
Own Tulsa - Tulsa, OK
Midtown Tulsa Real Estate Top Producer

Donna, vent and move on. We all have agents like that in our markets and it is FRUSTRATING to see no photos, no virtual tours, incomplete property information, etc. Just keep doing what you're doing and you (and your clients) will be the winners in the end!

Nov 28, 2009 11:51 AM
Rosalinda Morgan
Brookville, NY
"The Rose Lady"

Donna - It really amazes me how some agents handle their business and still get listings.  Is there something wrong with the homeowner?  The agent is excellent is obtaining listings but lousy in servicing them.

Nov 28, 2009 11:52 AM
Walter Jetter
Heavenly Homes Realty, Inc - Fayetteville, NC

Imagine this you have two assistants and they still can't return your call.

Nov 28, 2009 12:17 PM
Tammie White, Broker
Franklin Homes Realty LLC - Franklin, TN
Franklin TN Homes for Sale

Based on the comments, I guess there are too many agents out there doing this.

Nov 28, 2009 12:24 PM
Linda Christopher
Riverside, CA
Property Manager & Real Estate Sales

I am happy to postmark it for you.

I would love to have the job of MLS, contract, and code of ethics police. No one else is doing it. I am pretty sure I could cut the amount of Realtors in my area in half.

I report wrong Thomas Guide #'s, wrong codes for areas, homes that show as pending for over a year, $0 compensation listings, office phone numbers on active listings that are no longer in service, mobile homes in parks and condos listed as SFR, incorrect sold price, incorrectly reported buyers agent, and more - every week. Hundreds of these listings are still on the MLS uncorrected for months on end or forever. Sold listings with these types of incorrect information makes our lives difficult too. Our local associations are responsible for citing and fining these agents but they don't. 

We can't even narrow our searchs by 1, 2, or 3 car garages, with or without pools, lot size, central air, or anything else because we would miss several homes approperiate for our clients but are listed incorrectly.

If an agent can't even enter a listing correctly they are certainly in the wrong business.

Nov 28, 2009 12:42 PM
Donna Galinsky
Allen Tate Company - Cornelius, NC
Make Lake Norman Your Home!

Our MLS is incredibly lax. I have gone to them with issues bigger than this that they won't even handle.

Nov 28, 2009 01:28 PM
Brian Lee Burke
Kenna Real Estate - Lone Tree, CO
Broker & Advising Expert-Kenna Luxury Real Estate

Sadly it seems to be going around and here too there are some listing collectors and they keep getting more listings. ~Rita

Nov 28, 2009 01:56 PM
Christine Donovan
Donovan Blatt Realty - Costa Mesa, CA
Broker/Attorney 714-319-9751 DRE01267479 - Costa M

I hope that the venting helped prevent the explosion.  I can understand the frustration and the wish that others would do what they should.

Nov 28, 2009 03:28 PM
Anonymous
Anonymous

I think agents who operate this way get listings because they offer to discount their commission if they get both sides of the sale.  The seller knows exactly what they're doing and is okay with it because they pay less for the "service" in the end.  I've often wondered how this could possibly be legal. 

Nov 28, 2009 03:45 PM
#108
John Novak
Keller Williams Realty The Marketplace - Las Vegas, NV
Henderson, Las Vegas and Summerlin Real Estate

Great follow-up research, Donna. Now you have some concrete numbers in case the question ever comes up. But I'm sure once sellers see what you do for marketing and look at your results, the only question left is 'where do I sign.'

Nov 28, 2009 05:24 PM
Anonymous
Sherman

I'll bet that agent is a looker, and bats her does eyes at the menfolk and knows how to bond with the lady of the house. Thats all it takes to get tons of listings, as well as pick up a few buyers at open houses.

Nov 28, 2009 06:18 PM
#110
Vanessa Stalets
RE/MAX Elite - Brentwood, TN
REALTOR, Brentwood TN Homes, Real Estate

Donna, I totally understand. I am like you and this type of "sloppy" listing aggravates me to death! I think that people don't really know how to gage what their agent is doing a lot of the time, therefor they cannot tell if it is not enough, well enough etc. I try to educate clients as well as serve them, that way they know what I should be doing. I work for them basically, or did we all forget that? lol.. nice feature!

Nov 29, 2009 01:35 AM
Gary Swanson
Century 21 Harris & Taylor - Grants Pass, OR

Donna, terrific blog!  My biggest pet peeve are agents who only take a few photographs of the outside.  What do they think they're doing?  What is everyone else going to think? 

Nov 29, 2009 05:13 AM
Mike Henderson
Your complete source for buying HUD homes - Littleton, CO
HUD Home Hub - 303-949-5848

Real interesting article.  I'm going to try to incorporate some of your points into my listing presentation.

 

Nov 29, 2009 06:42 AM
Lyn Sims
Schaumburg, IL
Real Estate Broker Retired

I enjoyed your phrase 'I don't collect them'.  I always say I don't need practice listing them!  We used to have an agent here in my area that did the same things you mention with her 'group' which I like to really call 'a gang'.  She gets 2 weeks to try & sell the house herself why she puts off all other agents out there.  Is this really the market for this nonsense?  I don't think so as anyone who sells their house is blessed these days.

Good post.

Nov 29, 2009 07:44 AM
Steven Nickens
Hawaii Life Real Estate Brokers - Wailea, HI
R(S)GRI ABR, Maui Real Estate Hawaii

Donna,

You really struck a nerve looking at all the responses.  I like what Jessica mention about taking a look at how we are handling all our listings. Something about throwing rocks in a glass house. Its always good to look at how we are doing business, and how we can improve.

Nov 29, 2009 09:01 AM
Darlene Humphreys
Coldwell Banker Holman Premier Realty - Klamath Falls, OR
I love my job!

Let's do it!  I would love to do this!  Especially with most of the local REO agents, lousy photos and descriptions, slow to return calls.

I have had some terrible experiences with listing agents recently, I wish some of these sellers would call their listing agent posing as another Realtor and see what (doesn't) happen.

Dec 16, 2009 08:53 AM