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Oh come on. It's just another estate agent trolling. Or, alternately, it's a buy 'em cheap stack 'em deep outfit.
Honestly, I can't understand why these outfits keep trying, with their fake letters typed in "fake handwriting font" to try to fool you (who? who is stupid enough to be fooled by computer generated fake handwriting, especially when the same outfit has sent fifteen identical fake letters in the last year?), and their dozens of postcards every month. Surely anyone who hasn't been living in a cave the last ten years knows we're in a huge real estate "expansion" and that they can sell their house.
Probably most of these outfits are just fronts for builders: agent gets commish on the sale to the builder, then gets the commish when the builder sells the newly constructed McMansion.
Just wait till you're ready to sell the house then contact a legitimate above board real estate agent to list your house. If you feel like taking a round of punishment, you can try to sell it by owner for a while first.
Let's face it, these outfits wouldn't be cold-mailing you if they weren't expecting to pay you way below market. I probably get three or four of these a week.
You've got a 50/50 shot at it being legit. Many times, a buyer has narrowed down their search to a couple of streets. It's easier to send out letters than sit and wait to watch the MLS if they come active. Some agents, it's part of their farming in a neighborhood just to get the listing..
Hah! I would say it's more like a 2/98 shot at it being legit.
Think about it, would an actual real life aboveboard business person send you a letter unsigned no letterhead?
So apparently somewhere there's an indication of the name and agency since you were able to check on that and know that he's a male....but the letter is not on letterhead and it's unsigned.
I don't know about letterhead these days. I do know unsigned can indicate a mailout to at least a few people. Your neighbors probably got one too. I still like to get a signature myself.
Did he really skip to asking you give him a call to schedule dates to view your home.
I've gotten these. If I feel like it, I'll have a realtor friend call the person back. The realtor usually even knows the writer or knows of them and what they are about.
The real problem is I don't want to tip my hand that we are thinking of selling unless it's a legit prospect. But, I am confident there will be other prospects when we do decide so I'm inclined to trash the letter unless I could verify beforehand.
Hah! I would say it's more like a 2/98 shot at it being legit.
Think about it, would an actual real life aboveboard business person send you a letter unsigned no letterhead?
FWIW, I don't have company printed letterhead.
I have our own letterhead I made in Word, with our logo, that copy into our letters, but we don't actually write that many so letterhead isn't something I have a supply of.
I'd be more suspect of letterhead, that it was a mass mailing. What does letterhead prove? Are we really suspect that it's not a real Realtor?
It's possible she's trolling for listings. But it's also possible she actually has a buyer who wants in that neighborhood. It happens!
But there's no special scan test that will work. OP. - you're going to have to call and find out. Good news is, it shouldn't take long to find out if there's a real buyer or not. You'll know one minute into the phone call with the right specific questions.
I get those all the time for either my home or rentals.
I found it’s a combiantion of
Truthfulness. Usually those are on letter head with clear info on both agent and interested buyers.
Fishing expeditions by agents looking to hook a seller. They may or may not have a buyer. If pressed the buyer inexplicably found a house
Flat out investors looking to underbid and swindle you out of your house
You can tell mass mailings b cause the stamps are usually a mass mailing type stamp.
All these solicitation material go in the trash. I pay no attention nor do I care who they are or what they want. When and if I am ready to sell I will initiate contact with a agent or FSBO my property
If I was remotely interested in selling my property I would inquire, why not? There are two neighborhoods in my area where I would be interested in purchasing down the road. If I do reach that point, I thought about asking my agent to see if she could send a letter to the home owners to see if they would be possibly interested in selling. From my perspective, I know the neighborhoods where I want to live and homes in that area don't come on the market very often. So I would certainly ask my agent to write a letter if/when I'm ready to buy and there were no homes available in that neighborhood.
I have also received such letters and would have called back the agent if I was ready to sell. I don't see the harm. You may actually learn a thing or two about the real estate market in your area from the agent, doesn't mean you have to put your house on the market right away. When ever I go to open houses I always find the agents very engaging and willing to share information.
File this right next to the letters from car dealers who have a shortage of used cars just like the one you own and need to buy yours. I have a truck that comes by once a week to pick up these letters for me...keeps my filing cabinet clean and less stinky.
Call the agency phone number (look it up...don't just rely on the letter) and ask for the agent's phone number. Call the agent and tell him/her that you might be interested in selling to the buyer but you are absolutely not interested in listing or seeing a listing presentation. If the agent is a realtor, they have an ethical obligation to be honest in all their communications so you can even go so far as to say you'll file a grievance against him with the local board if s/he is lying to you. When they come to see the property, you might be asked to sign a one time showing agreement which will obligate you to pay a commission of some type. Discuss this in advance of the showing and ask the agent to email the agreement to you before the showing so you have time to read it.
It could very well be legit so take a chance but make sure you are really dealing with the person you think you are dealing with, let them know that you will hold them to account if they are trying to play you, and know what you are committing to before you let them in the house.
When you say it could be legit, have you personally done this with a prospective buyer or know realtors who have.
The real problem is I don't want to tip my hand that we are thinking of selling unless it's a legit prospect. But, I am confident there will be other prospects when we do decide so I'm inclined to trash the letter unless I could verify beforehand.
FWIW, I don't think it's legit for just your property alone. The company and agent could be real. I usually find out they're not even nearby. Hear anything from your neighbors?
When you say it could be legit, have you personally done this with a prospective buyer or know realtors who have.
I looked up ownership on a big vacant parcel for an interested buyer who was interested in it, contacted the owner, and ended up coordinating the purchase.
I've also sent out at least two letters at the request of another client (they also happened to be about vacant parcels) that were never answered.
So... yes... it has happened.
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