Get Permission--then tell 'em what they need to hear.

Get their permission…then tell ‘em what they need to hear.

I went on a listing appointment last week and came away wondering, what do agents tell their clients about showings and feedback?

This listing had expired from the market and the owner called me to see, “What I would do differently than her former agent”.  I happily scheduled the appointment and had a great conversation with the owner about her goals to sell the property, why she was selling, what she wanted from an agent, and how my marketing and seller success plan could bring a buyer and achieve sale success for her.

One set of questions I aways ask of an owner whose property had previously been on the market is: 1) did you have any offers; 2) if no, why do you think not; 3) what kind of feedback did you get on the showings you had.

This seller had no offers and wasn’t sure why.  She told me the feedback had been that people loved the house but really wanted, “hardwood floors and granite countertops”.  I asked a few more questions trying to flush out some other objections she may have received.  There were none.

Now, I know that to not be correct—at least from the standpoint of an agent providing feedback to the listing agent that was beyond ascetics.   You see, I’d shown this house a couple of times and provided feedback to the agent that did not include my customer wanting hardwood and granite.  The feedback discussed some deficiencies in the floor plan—objections that I know surely every other buyer would have had.  I asked the seller for her permission to tell her what I knew about the house and what feedback I had during the showings I attended, she agreed, and I explained those objections.  She’s never heard of those, which again amazed me because the two items I outlined for her are paramount for every home buyer.

So, I wonder, why would an agent fail to share that feedback.  It was substantive, and offered more than once, and would surely have supported the need for a price adjustment in the property—because the deficiencies/objections were not easily or inexpensively corrected.  I’ve come across this “failure to communicate relevant information” before and have come to the conclusion that some agents are either oblivious to facts, or fear upsetting their client with information the client would perhaps rather not hear.

Showing feedback is really important to me when it comes to my listings.  I guess maybe for others it’s not so critical.

My philosophy will always be to tell ‘em what they need to hear, not what they want to hear!!