Such a good point Debbie Laity ! I too make sure my clients receive a copy of the MLS as soon as I list their home.  Based on what I see on the MLS, I'm sure many agents are not not implementing this task.  

Hi Debbie,  I would definitely want to see the listing on my home if it was listed.  It's always good to have another proofreader.  So easy to miss our own errors. 

Hi Debbie Laity I always send a copy of the MLS lsiting to my clients and ask them to review the information and the description I wrote about their home.  I ask them to read it and let me know if they require any changes, additions, etc.,

This is so true, Debbie. Sellers are entitled to know and see how their listings are being presented. The agents that don't share it are not confident of their presentation.

It seems very obvious that we should be this prepared, but sometimes the obvious isn’t so obvious

They are really entitled to every aspect and every angle possible. Better to have more than not enough, Debbie Reynolds

Hi Debbie: It's interesting how many sellers just want you, the listing agent, to go do it figuring that's what you are getting paid for. But it really is a good idea to show the seller what you have done, just in case there are inaccuracies.

Debbie, it is a great idea to let your seller as well as future sellers know what you do for them as a listing agent, Endre

Morning Debbie.

Congratulations on the feature, you are back in full swing.  Good information for the sellers to consider  

Excellent post Debbie. Listed clients should always make sure their property description is accurate, and that the prose delivers.

Congratulations on the featured post. I do not think many sellers see the Mls printout . I have seen so many inaccuracies over the years.

Yes, I always send the MLS listing to them, prior to the final submission to MLS.

The seller knows the place better than the 1.5 hour or however long the agent took very careful real estate notes on. Let them as a partner add the features you left out that will all add up to make the place seller quicker. Video, not empty image sockets, wide and handsome photos, plot maps, floor-plans are a must. But the yes, no, maybe and number fields leave a lot out on the how is this one different. For your buyer out in the audience to differentiate with the "one of these properties is not like all the others". They do start to sound and look a lot alike when the remark field is too small. Narrative is critical and adding to the original mls entry feed that shows up on your sites to make it fuller, richer, more helpful, more detailed.

well written...thanks for the nuggets....

I think the MLS sheet with photos should be reviewed by every seller. They really should know how their house is being represented to the buying public. I have an entire folder of bad MLS photos and laugh at them all the time.

This is one of those questions that at first glance you think, "duh! Of course!"
But we know that that is not always the case. Some sellers never see any of the marketing for their property. And then they wonder why the property isn't sold with all the inaccuracies, omissions and lack of proper marketing on the part of their selected broker.

Congratulations on the feature Debbie Laity , you are a feature machine. I love the topic as many homes i see becoming expireds, one look at their MLS print out sure can show why the home never sold in most cases. Only 1 picture, no description and often wrong information

Yes, I always send them a copy of the MLS listing on their home. I have made changes to the description and remarks on their home when they point out something I may have missed. My commitment to them is to sell their house...in that sense they are my boss.

Hi Debbie

Sellers, and prospective sellers deserve to know what you can and will do, which includes the marketing. Clearly some sellers never get to see the MLS listing before it  hits the market, including the photos and typos.

Jeff

Good points. Sellers should also be going online to see how their house is presented.

Congratulations on your feature recognition. This is very good reading for home sellers.

Excellent post, Debbie.  All sellers should take a look at the MLS listing (both agent and customer views) and ask for explanations of all items that they don't understand.

Hi Debbie Laity Thanks for the great blog and accurate one!!

I rarely sell homes...I usually am concentrating on farm ground. 

Although the same rules apply for farm land as houses...we can usually figure out the land from satellite and driveby photos.

However this week I have had a client who wanted to look at homes and after three homes...I remember one of the main reasons I quit selling homes many years ago.

All I can say is I wonder if the homeowners on two of them ever saw the MLS listing papers.  My bet is the answer is no.

Thanks for writing this; just yesterday we were discussing in my office the pros and cons of sending the Sellers a copy of the MLS sheet. 

One of the first things that I do after going live with a listing is send it to the Sellers, so they can see how it looks and let me know if they see anything that needs to be changed.

Debbie, This is a great question. We send the MLS sheet to our sellers to look over. It's so important it is correct as it affect buyer's search.

I send all my sellers a copy of their mls listing... it's part of our contract to list... they have a right to know what's in it. I'm amazed how often sellers don't ask for this, if not provided, and then later are flummoxed by the fact that their agent didn't present the property particularly well or with inaccuracies.

Excellent post! I agree that some of the most basic details, like proofreading or checking on your photos, can often be overlooked. I also like your advice about having someone else look over your work. Another set of trusted eyes is invaluable.

Just make sure the print out is not meant for agents showing combinatio # and commission meant for realtors.

Hi  Debbie Laity

I  make sure my clients are the first to see what it looks like in the MLS.

We should always get feedback from them, after all they have lived in the home sometimes for many years and will be quick to notice errors.

Good afternoon Debbie  - another reason why trust and knowledge is so important in selecting an agent.  I have seen terrible listing when I was looking.

Hi Debbie, I am so often puzzled when I see dark, blury or just plain bad photos on expensive listings. I think these sellers deserve better, if only they knew.

So so good.  I am constantly amazed at the pics that are upside down, sideways, or just plain dark.  Sad to say it is more common than anyone would like to see.

Do the sellers not look at the websites that have their listing?  It is how their home is presented to the public and those feed from the MLS. So giving them a copy of the listing is good but pointing them to the website helps also.   Some clients don't like things like vides so may not want one of those.  The other pet peeve of mine is the exuberant descriptions of agents.  Particularly when every house that agent has listed "is the house of your dreams. STOP you don't want to look anymore".   I no longer read her descriptions because they aren't helpful.  Plus the hashtags at the end are overdone. 

Yes!  I look at some MLS photos and think does the seller even know what you have posted and then what you did or didn't say.

I am always amazed that a seller allows an agent to market their property for 30, 40 190 days without photos, my other pet peeve, comments like "won't last" and they have not been removed after XX days, or along the same lines it is December and it states Showings will begin June 1st....

Every listing I take, a link is sent over the client for a look-see for changes and correctness. More home owner's should get a good look at the way their home is being advertised. In some cases, it can be very telling Debbie! Congrats on the feature and perhaps opening some seller's eyes.

Yeah, I always send off the MLS listing to my clients as soon as I post it.  Good post Debbie, keep up the great work.

This is customer service on the go with a professional at the helm thank you

Yes, I have my sellers initial a print-out of the MLS listing. And I show them the "agent" version, not the "client" version so that they can also see the private agent comments that are not available to the public. Recently, an agent in my area simply put "Use GPS" for the directions. Simply lazy. Good post!

Ha, ha!  I had to laugh when I got to your comment about price typos/misprints.  I have seen those from time to time and they are always good for a doubletake moment...

I read a glowing description the other day of a property that sounded spectacular, until they mentioned "every knook and cranny" was spotless. I do email a copy of the info sheet to my sellers. It's a good business practice.

So many excellent points, Debbie!  Thanks for the great reminders!  I, too,  send the MLS link to my sellers, so they can double-check property facts and make sure that all pertinent information has been included.  And use a professional photographer (even for rentals) to make sure that the photos show the property in its best light (literally and figuratively!)

Our company policy is for the office manager to send every seller a copy of the MLS listing as soon as it is available. My sellers appreciate seeing the result of our hard work!

It's part of my service to send links to the MLS sheet (the agent version) and all live links to my sites and syndication sites.  I want them to see their house out there.  I want them to share those links.  More eyes on helps me.  Helps them.  I often look at listing and know the seller has seen none of it.

Debbie, first off, this is a great way to present yourself at a listing appointment.

Your seller is informed of what to expect from you.

Second, I think sending them the listing from the MLS is important.

I always do that. They appreciate seeing how you present their property to the public. They can also catch any errors that you may have inadvertently included.

Congratulations on the much deserved featured post!  I also send the MLS listing to my sellers for review and approval.   More often than not they are happy however sometimes they want a couple changes which is fine with me.  I see so many sloppy listings on MLS I am absolutely sure the seller didn’t see it

Oh, I send it out too, Debbie! There is sometimes something that they want to substitute and oftentimes, it's the 'something' that made THEM buy that house. It's important for them to see that in the write-up. 

You see MLS listings out there (and we won't even bring up the photos!) that you are 100% sure the sellers never saw the listing!

Great post and congrats on the feature too!

Excellent topic to share, also very good replies. thanks for your time

Great points, Debbie.  Drives me nuts when the map isn't even close to where the property is located.  It's easy to correct but I don't think some agents don't check their listings to see where the map is directing them.  

Awesome!!! You hit the nail on the head. I despise poor MLS listings. It's critical to get a great first impression.

It seems so basic, yet reading the comments confirms that many agents have seen bloopers the sellers surely would have spotted, had their agents sent them a copy.

It is amazing how many sellers have no clue how bad their MLS listings are. I always send a copy of the listing to my sellers immediately for their review.

Hi Debbie, this is a great post, and every seller should have the opportunity to review the MLS listing! I always send it. It's a good double check to be sure our marketing is correct and that it meets the sellers' expectations.

Sometimes it's hard to believe the unprofessional presentation in the online or MLS listings .... savvy sellers would know to check it, but it's the others that you have to feel sorry for.  Agents should be required to do a better job for their clients.

Debbie,

    I've often said "if more sellers actually looked at their listing, they would be shocked"  Sellers, hold your listing agent accountable! 

Yes Yes Yes!

I don't know why this needs to be out there...seems so obvious....but the pics I see in our local mls are evidence that this NEEDS to be out there!

Debbi,

 COngrats on the feature and it's great to see you on the rolls again! I hope you have a great week!

This is advice every seller should follow, Debbie! We always send a copy of the MLS sheet to our sellers. And like Cynthia Larsen it is the agent version so they can read the private remarks we include.

I don't think some agents send listings to the seller--which is a mistake!  If I was a seller, I would want to see the listing, check for spelling and description and make sure the flyers looked professional and  inviting.  Agents should be proud of their photography and marketing pieces and want to show them off...sadly, many really cheap out in this regard.

Dear Debbie,

Getting a second pair of eyes on the listing is always good early on. I once put in a listing late at night & noticed that the 1-bedroom had 3 bathrooms the next morning. Should have been the reverse. We are all capable of bloopers.

Great minds Debbie!  I always give my clients a link to their listing and have them preview it.  99% of the time they are thrilled.  Sometimes I need to tweak it a bit or add a missing feature.  It's so important to work together as a team to sell a home.  Great post!

Debbie, It is always good as the seller agent to send out a copy right after it is uploaded for the seller's review and feedback.  It is a great way to keep them informed and for them to see what the public will see.  

Debbie Laity Once again you have written about a great topic. In my practice I do send the MLS listing over to my clients. It's very important for them to read and look over the photos etc. 

I miss you girl.... hope all is well with you and your family.... your pal Bobby