Recently during property previews for buyers in Treasure Island & Madeira Beach I've encountered situations where, on the phone & throughout the entire showing, the listing agents apologized & made excuses for all the things that were not done to the property or the listing itself.
A steady stream of comments like:
- That pile of debris is where they cut down a tree. They just haven't cleaned it up yet.
- The boat lift motor is broken, but they're going to fix that.
- We're going to get those carpets cleaned.
- Sorry it's such a mess - we're still in the middle of staging.
- I know it's dark in here & I told him to replace those light bulbs.
- Sorry there's only one picture - we can't take pictures until after their guests leave town.
- I'm talking to her about getting rid of the (pick one):
- gigantic pool table in the dining room
- the naked lady pictures in the master bedroom
- the sea-foam green walls, etc etc etc.
These apologies were offered as justification for lack of preparation. In reality, these were condemnations of the property.
What's the advantage of rushing the property onto the MLS and then effectively tearing it down throughout the showing? The Realtor may as well have shouted, "This is a terrible, overpriced property -- make me a low ball offer!!!"
Mind you, these are not cheap properties - they're Waterfront 3/2/2 with boat lifts and docks in the $500,000 - $700,000 listing price range.
Where's the advantage for the seller or the listing agent by rushing the listing to market before it's ready to show? I'm not complaining. I'm seriously asking. Because maybe there's something I don't know.
You never get a 2nd chance to make a 1st impression, right? So why not get the listing agreement signed but wait the few days or weeks to get it in showcase condition before actually putting it on the MLS, etc.? Especially when getting most properties ready to show is FREE -- just clean and remove clutter!
Comments(1)