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Showing feedback a nuisance to the agent showing or the listing agent?

By
Real Estate Agent with Property Mill Real Estate Group LLC

Anyone ever wondered why listing agents ask for showing feedback? Anyone recognize the following feedback?

- Buyer not interested, 
- Home didn't suit their needs
- Love the house but they don't want to spend that much

And I'm sure you can find more of those, not to forget the agents that just don't give any feedback at all. In a positive view you can say that these agents have figured out that it's better not to say anything than fairly useless information.

In this day and age with the market as it is, it becomes more and more important to give GOOD feedback. As a group of professionals (if we can call ourselves that), we depend on each other to get homes sold. I regard it as a professional courtesy to give the best feedback possible so as to help the listing agent sell the home. If the home is cluttered, say so. If the home needs paint, say so. If you, the agent, feel the home is overpriced, say so. If you feel that the home needs updating, be specific. 

We are all so busy that we just don't have time to help others by giving good feedback, NOT. When you treat this as a business,giving good feedback is part of it. You'd be surprised how that will help building your image as well. I'd rather negotiate a contract with someone I know is knowledgeable about what the possible shortcomings are to a home than with someone who is ignorant as to why certain homes are priced the way they are and takes a general approach to market prices. 

Sure it is important to have the buyers' feedback as well. But please give us the courtesy of getting yours as well. After all, you are the professional, right?

As an industry we all benefit from helping each other. As I have heard it described: "Get by giving"
In todays world, a lot of sellers get to read the feedback directly as it is given by the showing agent. If they wanted to change agents, who do you think they'd pick? The one that gave constructive feedback or one of the ones in the examples above?

It may not yet be too late to add another resolution for 2011: I will give constructive feedback on every home I show so as to help the seller and the listing agent get a good picture of the competitiveness of the home in the market, in the process learning myself a great deal on what is important when selling a home.

 

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Karen Feltman
Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, IA KW Legacy Group - Cedar Rapids, IA
Relocation Specialist in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Giving feedback is a hot topic on AR and in different areas of the country.  I agree that giving solid, constructive feedback is a wonderful tool for listing agents to get sellers to listen to conditional needs that are not being met in their home for buyers.  But at the same time, as a buyer's agent, we do not want to give away any negotiating leverage by telling the listing agent/seller too much.  That is where the usual feedback does not really help.  The best feedback is the call saying that they have an offer for me!

Jan 10, 2011 04:31 AM
Hans Rosielle
Property Mill Real Estate Group LLC - Falcon, CO
GRI

Karen, you are so right. The best feedback is the offer. But as professionals it would really help if we point out why, in our professional opinion, the home doesn't work for that buyer. That could be as simple as price, or not having certain features that other in the same price range do have. E.g. I showed a home recently where the CO detectors were not (any longer?) present. In Colorado it's law for these to be in place when marketing a home. After all, you may show 5 homes or more and only one, if any, is going to be the one you write an offer on. So you don't really give up your negotiating leverage. All you do is give an independent professional opinion. If every one would take the effort to give constructive feedback, we all would benefit, listing agents, customers as well as buyer agents.

Thanks for your comments btw

Jan 10, 2011 12:38 PM