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I would comment though that you could not have picked a worse time to list? Very few buyers out there Thanksgiving thru New Year. If you liked your current agent, I'd stick with him/her and re-list...
Yes I realize it was not ideal but homes have still been selling in my area (which we know since we were looking to buy as well). For one we are in the south and the weather was actually pretty good in December. My agent did claim that the weekend after Thanksgiving was a popular time for out-of-town buyers to look at homes (pretty heavy transplant area). Unfortunately we were only able to get it ready in time to list the day before Thanksgiving so probably missed on those that had already made showing appointments. We did have about 10 showings but they definitely started slowing down at the end (yes, likely having a lot to do with Christmas/New Years). We maybe should have at least left it on another weekend after the holiday weekend but there was also a personal reason for taking it off.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikePRU
I've seen a number of these scripts being taught in the RE agent Facebook groups and honestly most of them don't say "I have a buyer." They're more ambiguous. They say things like "if you received a strong offer would you still be willing to sell your home?" So, they hint that there is a buyer but never come out and say it. The truly unscrupulous or newb agents probably don't understand why it's worded that way and end up sending it out as "I have a buyer!" These are techniques you see from a lot of Keller Williams agents but I'm sure they're taught at other offices as well.
One did essentially say they had a possible buyer, but one was "are you still willing to accept offers"? I guess that could be considered ambiguous.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Heidi Herda
I'm just being honest, some sellers REALLY do need someone else to be marketing their home for sale.
I've done a good deal of business from expired/cancelled listings and it's mostly because the agent didn't do their job. I see pictures upside down on MLS, no information, dark photos of the ground and overpricing by $1,000's of dollars. I call to "help" a seller. I never say I have a buyer (unless I actually do) and truth be told, if the agent that listed it the first time priced it right and actually showed off the best features in the house more than once, I did have a buyer, but instead of looking the went on to the next listing.
We were moderately satisfied with our agent (who we knew previously). We're not sure if we want to re-list at all but if we do have considered using another agent (or at least getting additional opinions on how realistic our price was). I actually ended up calling back one of the people that said "Hey it's ___" without saying they were a real estate agent, but only because I had just gotten off the phone with a new home community so thought it was them calling back. I did set up an appointment with them and even said it was kindof sleezy to not identify themselves, but since it actually got me to call them back I'm sure they'll continue using this method (d'oh). Funny people mention KW as I believe most of the calls I've gotten were from KW agents.
pretty much agree with all of the above.
I don't market to expired/cancelled.
There are a ton of services out there that data collect and then sell it back to the agents to market with. In my market we never put the owner's contact info in the mls. Heck, we get lucky if they put in the legal owners name so i dont have to research the tax records to get it when making an offer!
kw has a system that they teach called bold and they have to make 100 calls per day in that class. Guess where they get those people to call from?
For the most part telling you they have a buyer when they don't is a bait and switch. It's irritating to me when agents do that because when i do have a buyer for that listing the seller is tired of hearing agents tell them that and blow me off and my buyer misses out!
I can only imagine how irritating this is for the owner/seller.
Yes I realize it was not ideal but homes have still been selling in my area (which we know since we were looking to buy as well). For one we are in the south and the weather was actually pretty good in December. My agent did claim that the weekend after Thanksgiving was a popular time for out-of-town buyers to look at homes (pretty heavy transplant area). Unfortunately we were only able to get it ready in time to list the day before Thanksgiving so probably missed on those that had already made showing appointments. We did have about 10 showings but they definitely started slowing down at the end (yes, likely having a lot to do with Christmas/New Years). We maybe should have at least left it on another weekend after the holiday weekend but there was also a personal reason for taking it off.
One did essentially say they had a possible buyer, but one was "are you still willing to accept offers"? I guess that could be considered ambiguous.
We were moderately satisfied with our agent (who we knew previously). We're not sure if we want to re-list at all but if we do have considered using another agent (or at least getting additional opinions on how realistic our price was). I actually ended up calling back one of the people that said "Hey it's ___" without saying they were a real estate agent, but only because I had just gotten off the phone with a new home community so thought it was them calling back. I did set up an appointment with them and even said it was kindof sleezy to not identify themselves, but since it actually got me to call them back I'm sure they'll continue using this method (d'oh). Funny people mention KW as I believe most of the calls I've gotten were from KW agents.
Amazing. Same in my experience and my neighbors' experiences. Cold calling is really really old school. Is it actually making a comeback then?
I'm just being honest, some sellers REALLY do need someone else to be marketing their home for sale.
I don't think you'll get an argument in this forum about that. There are regularly posts about bad photos agents have taken, poor listing remarks they've written, etc, etc, etc. I really wish more sellers paid attention to not only what their agent was doing for them but also looked at other listings to see how other agents are presenting properties. If they paid attention even a little bit they would often notice a stark difference.
Of course, when it comes to pricing, the decision is ultimately the seller's and sometimes they make the wrong choice. You can't always blame that on the agent. You can lead a horse to water . . .
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoPhils
Funny people mention KW as I believe most of the calls I've gotten were from KW agents.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cully
Amazing. Same in my experience and my neighbors' experiences. Cold calling is really really old school. Is it actually making a comeback then?
Not surprised. Every office has a culture regardless of the industry. Even though in real estate most offices are independent franchises which are locally owned in some cases the national brand can still have an impact on the office culture.
I wonder if the Do Not Call list comes in to play here? One of my friends just told me she told them she was on the dnc list.
Another friend who is a realtor has just been getting messages from someone asking about a listing. Not identifying himself. My friend responded. Then checked the phone number...it was not only a KW agent but an owner of a company. The guy asked more questions, still not identifying himself but my friend called him on it.
Are those agents told they'll get better info if they act like buyers? In my experience a good realtor gets better info from another good realtor.
Amazing. Same in my experience and my neighbors' experiences. Cold calling is really really old school. Is it actually making a comeback then?
Quote:
Originally Posted by cully
I wonder if the Do Not Call list comes in to play here? One of my friends just told me she told them she was on the dnc list.
Another friend who is a realtor has just been getting messages from someone asking about a listing. Not identifying himself. My friend responded. Then checked the phone number...it was not only a KW agent but an owner of a company. The guy asked more questions, still not identifying himself but my friend called him on it.
Are those agents told they'll get better info if they act like buyers? In my experience a good realtor gets better info from another good realtor.
Cold calling, telemarketing, and fibbing and misleading never went away. They just assume different trendy identities.
Anyone on the DNC list should report agent telemarketing.
I wonder if the Do Not Call list comes in to play here? One of my friends just told me she told them she was on the dnc list.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeJaquish
Anyone on the DNC list should report agent telemarketing.
I would like to second what Mike J. said. I have to say . . . there's a reason why all the RE agent Facebook groups are private/closed and not public. I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone post "how do I avoid calling people on the DNC" and get 100 replies saying "don't worry about it just call anyway." If these people don't get reported, then the DNC doesn't do what it was intended to do. A nice $15,000 fine and these people will pay more attention to the DNC very quickly.
I would like to second what Mike J. said. I have to say . . . there's a reason why all the RE agent Facebook groups are private/closed and not public. I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone post "how do I avoid calling people on the DNC" and get 100 replies saying "don't worry about it just call anyway." If these people don't get reported, then the DNC doesn't do what it was intended to do. A nice $15,000 fine and these people will pay more attention to the DNC very quickly.
So Agree with you!!! The DNC is the same as a sign on the door saying No Soliciting.
My biggest peeve is when an agent says "But Im not selling anything"
Oh, Bull****. Ethics people.
This makes me so sad and frustrated. As a Realtor who works really hard to be respectful (which definitely means avoiding rude and inconsiderate tactics like door knocking, cold calling, and auto-dialing), I realize that people's perceptions of me are colored by these unscrupulous agents and it really isn't fair. The problem is that there are simply too many gullible people on both sides. Keller Williams (and companies like them) destroyed polite, professional real estate! The problem is, it worked for them. They build their companies through multi-level marketing, taking in anyone who can manage to pass the test and teaching them strategically designed scripts which they are encouraged to practice over and over. Gullible agents actually believe that their job is "prospecting and making appointments" (seriously, that is what they are taught) and gullible sellers (because honestly, the agents have no buyers, they just want to list your house) buy their scripts and end up listing with them. Sadly, sellers also believe that a big brokerage must be better so their tactics work but in real estate, that has no basis in truth at all and because of this mistaken belief, more and more brokers are adopting the KW model of multi-level marketing to build their numbers because it is impressive to potential clients.
It's a hard thing to stop these calls (as a real estate agent, we get them too because these same agents are also building their down lines and trying to recruit us with similar scripts). Honestly, the only way to stop it is for home owners to ask better questions. First of all, ask them their name and brokerage name (they have to have a brokerage or they are practicing real estate without a license OR they are an evil investor trying to bilk you out of your equity). Note their name and their brokerage and if you are on the do not call list, tell them you are and ask them to take you off their list and report the call here: [url]https://complaints.donotcall.gov/complaint/complaintcheck.aspx[/url]. THEN ALSO call their broker and advise them that one of their agents, "mike smith", called you and you are on the do not call list and need your number taken off of their list. Most people do not know that it is the BROKER you are dealing with and this is just a representative. When you ask that your number is removed, it MUST be removed from every agent's database at the whole brokerage. For some brokerages, that is thousands of agents! Continue to report EVERY call! I know it's a hassle but it is the only way to stop this habit. This practice has to result in pain if it's going to go away.
If you do want to entertain them, don't ask that list of questions you found on the internet in a blog about "how to choose the best Realtor" or "signs of a bad Realtor". Guess what? Most of them are written by the same agents, following the scripts they were taught! And don't let them ask all the questions; you are the seller! You should be asking as many questions as they are. Ask them where they got your number (most of them bought a list or pay for a system that will find phone numbers). They will probably give you some scripted answer for that too. Ask them when they'd like to bring their buyer over and get the buyer's last name before you make an appointment (because you know they just want to make an appointment to "preview" your house so that they can get in and see it themselves and then pitch you the idea that they can list it and sell it for you.) If they're ballsy enough to give you a name but then show up without a buyer, don't let them in AND report them!
LASTLY.... If you want to give them a reason for NOT using them, tell them you want an agent who is spending their time actually marketing his client's houses or taking his buyer's around helping them to find a house rather than an agent who is spending their time cold-calling people!
If you want to give them a reason for NOT using them, tell them you want an agent who is spending their time actually marketing his client's houses or taking his buyer's around helping them to find a house rather than an agent who is spending their time cold-calling people![/quote]
Very good point. I am getting those pest calls right now.
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Too many gullible people
