To Accept That Listing Or Not To Accept That Listing, That Is The
Question
The are many valid reasons to turn down a listing:
It is priced incorrectly
It is in very shabby condition
It is located badly
It is outside my market area
The owner is a jerk
I just don't like the house
Price: The owner and the agent just cannot agree on the value. Of
course the owner wants to get as much as he can, while the agent
wants a listing that will sell. Sometimes the difference in price
expectations is huge, but other times it is really close. Isn't it
reasonable to price a house a little above the market in a rising
market? And if it is reasonable, what is a reasonable factor above the
market? Is 5% reasonable, is 10% too much? what if the only "real"
comp is over one year old? Then what? Price is always a debate
between the seller and the lister, but shouldn't the lister "be
reasonable" in this?
Condition: Is it so bad that someone looking for a "fixer" wouldn't want
it? Otherwise, it is just a matter of price, wouldn't you say?
Location: Of course LOCATION is the three most important
characteristics of a property. But even less-than-desirable locations DO
SELL. Again, it just a matter of price. Of course, if the house is next to
the city dump or a slaughterhouse, it may not be sellable at any price.
Market Area: It is true that we can't do justice to a property that is too
far away to show easily. But, sometimes it is just a matter that we don't
want to put ourselves out even a little bit.
Owner: Once in a while the owner is such a jerk that he just can't be
worked with. You can't work with him, and a buyer won't be able to
work with him either. This kind of owner needs to be avoided at all
costs.
Your Taste: They say it is hard to sell something that you yourself don't
like. I personally don't have that problem because I like everything. But
I recognize this as a legitimate reason not to list a property. Maybe you
should take a hard look at why you are in this business. Just sayin...
List It
Now that we have explored all the reasons NOT to list a property, we
are left with just writing that listing agreement and going to work.
They say that nothing happens until you sell something. Well, you
can't sell it if you refused to write the listing, can you?
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