In the current Sunland – Tujunga real estate market and throughout the rest of Los Angeles County and into the Inland Empire and the rest of Southern California, there are near record number of real estate listings that are expiring from the MLS.
The MLS has an excessive inventory available for first time homebuyers, move-up home buyers and investor home buyers to carefully scrutinize and select from when considering the purchase of a home in the Sunland – Tujunga area.
In today’s rapidly declining market, only the best homes at a price point will sell.
As a result of the excess inventory in the MLS, many Sunland – Tujunga homes will expire and not be sold within the real estate contract listing period. There are many reasons for this, but more often than not it has to do with either the price of the real estate, the condition of the home for sale or the location of the real estate. 
The bottom line is always price.
As a real estate agent it is my job to help homeowners sell their property when they want to move. It is not my job to blow a lot of smoke and tell someone I agree with them that the overpriced number the home seller has in mind is realistic and that the home will sell for this amount.
Unfortunately, many real estate agents will contact an expired listing either on the day it expires or within the first week of expiring. I have found some of my best successes were to contact expireds 3 months or longer after the listing expired from the MLS.
When a homeowner of an expired MLS listing has been out of the market for an extended period of time, they have had the opportunity to lick their wounds and heal from the experience. In many cases, the MLS expired listing homeowner has had an opportunity to clean the home and property better and make improvements that will help sell it quicker. It will also give them the opportunity to re-asses their reason for moving – and if they are ready to go through the same anguishing process all over again, then they are committed (or fools).
THE INTEVIEW
When I meet with the homeowner of a home that was listed in the MLS for sale and then expired, I must make certain that there are reasonable expectations set – as I cannot afford to make the same mistakes the previous real estate agent made. Just as the homeowner believes they are interviewing me for the job, I must take control and interview them to make certain that they are a fit for my workflow and business model.
The interview is really very simple – I just have a small handful of question that I need to be satisfied with, before accepting the responsibility of listing an Expired listing and again listing it in the MLS for sale.
FIRST – Why Do THEY Think the Home Didn’t Sell?
The homeowner will tell you all the reasons that the home did not sell when it was listed on the MLS for sale. It is critical to listen to what the seller is saying. I am never afraid to take notes – it shows that I am paying attention and that I am interested in what they have to say. I will encourage the home owner to talk and pull out as much information as possible. It is important for me to repeat back and rephrase what I have heard.
At this point, it is also important that I share my experience and how I can handle the hurdles that I have just heard.
SECOND – Did the Listing Generate Any Offers?
This will let me know how flexible the seller is. If they had offers, why didn’t they negotiate a settlement? 
Why didn’t they lower the price?
By figuring out what the sellers motivation is, it will allow me to craft a marketing program that will help sell the home quickly.
THIRD – How Many Showing Were There?
This will tell me one of two things. If there were a lot of showings but few or no offers that there are issues with the condition of the home. Perhaps the home needs a professional stager. Some fresh paint and flowers in the garden might help.
If there were only a few or no showings, then it is obvious that the home was overpriced.
FOURTH – How was the Home Marketed?
This is not the time to bad mouth the previous agent. Here it is important for me to listen very closely at what was done – figure out where the other real estate agent failed and then be able to show how I can excel. This is the time for me to become very specific and show in real life example just what I plan on doing with real examples of both print and internet marketing. There is nothing more powerful than having a homeowner do a Google search for their address and then do one for one of my listings – I typically will have 3 or 4 times as many links with their address in the search results as any of my competitors – and that speaks volumes.
FIFTH – What Changes is the Homeowner Willing to Make to Sell Their Home?
This is where we either make or break our relationship. If the Sunland – Tujunga home owner is not willing to do anything differently it is time for me to pack it up and leave. There is no reason for me to duplicate someone else’s failure.
On the other hand, if I have a motivated seller who will tell me they will do what ever it take, then I know I have a listing and the opportunity to sell a Sunland – Tujunga home at a reasonable price. It is important that I discuss any elephant in the room and tell it like it is. I am not there to be confrontational, but they are depending on my professional opinion and advice. I have a checklist that I will break out and analyze the home for sale and estimate any costs that may be involved in preparing the home. It is important that the home seller knows that it takes money to make money.
In summary, I am always very empathetic whenever I am in contact with a home owner who listed their home for sale with another real estate agent, placing it in the MLS, only to not sell. REALTORS® are not always thought highly of in our society and when my predecessor failed to get the job done it is important for me to focus on a positive relationship by focusing on their needs and not mine.
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