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About 10 years ago, I worked as a receptionist at a real estate office. My job was to answer the phones, but I wasn't allowed to give out prices of houses if someone called to ask. I had to take down their info, contact the listing agent and the listing agent would call to talk to the person. People used to get quite mad at me for not giving a price. I didn't blame them. Like another poster said. I don't want to go through all that trouble just to find out the house is too expensive.
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Originally Posted by marmac
surpressing information is not a good idea when we are in the "information era"
About 10 years ago, I worked as a receptionist at a real estate office. My job was to answer the phones, but I wasn't allowed to give out prices of houses if someone called to ask. I had to take down their info, contact the listing agent and the listing agent would call to talk to the person. People used to get quite mad at me for not giving a price. I didn't blame them. Like another poster said. I don't want to go through all that trouble just to find out the house is too expensive.
In NJ that's because the LAW says an unlicensed person is not allowed to give out any information about a house. It is NOT real estate agents trying to withould info. So you have to answer something to the effect of "Yes, we have that property listed for sale, and I'll put you on the hone with someone who can answer all your questions."
I'm always learning on this forum. I'm constantly amazed at how some people will discount a perfectly good house for no real reason. Could be the best buy, but they'll just pass it up because there's no flyer in the box. Well, I'm going to start putting flyers out again. I have them on some of my listings, some not. So, while we're having this discussion, I'm assuming you would like to see the 'mls listing sheet' in the box vs some spiffed up flyer that I make up? Just the facts? I've been putting both in there actually...stapled together. Does that work for the majority of you?
To the OP, if you want flyers out there, tell the Realtor® you want flyers out there or put them out yourself.
And you see calling a toll free number & listening to my recorded information as being more work than getting out of the car, slogging through the snow that the plow has pushed up along the edge of the street to grab the paper? Or getting yrou nice clothes soaked by rain while yiu try to get that paper?
It takes me 10 seconds to grab a piece of paper. I doubt I'd even get through to the 800 number in that amount of time. Then, I have to call a couple of times to get all of the info written down accurately. Plus, I don't really want to be put on someone's marketing list and passed around the office.
Oh, and we don't have snow here - I live in a civilized climate (excluding summer i.e. Apr - Oct). I'm willing to brave our blisteringly cold 50* winter days for 10 seconds at a time, as long as I can jump back in my warm car afterwards and regain my strength...
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Different strokes for different folks I guess, but calling a phone number is not hard work for someone looking for a home.
I'm male - I have a genetic predisposition to hating phone calls.
ETA - Is it just me, or is this thread full of potential buyers saying they like flyers and (some) agents saying that flyers are bad because it makes it tough for the agent? If so, I know what the correct answer is.
It takes me 10 seconds to grab a piece of paper. I doubt I'd even get through to the 800 number in that amount of time. Then, I have to call a couple of times to get all of the info written down accurately. Plus, I don't really want to be put on someone's marketing list and passed around the office.
Oh, and we don't have snow here - I live in a civilized climate (excluding summer i.e. Apr - Oct). I'm willing to brave our blisteringly cold 50* winter days for 10 seconds at a time, as long as I can jump back in my warm car afterwards and regain my strength...
I'm male - I have a genetic predisposition to hating phone calls.
ETA - Is it just me, or is this thread full of potential buyers saying they like flyers and (some) agents saying that flyers are bad because it makes it tough for the agent? If so, I know what the correct answer is.
Ditto for me! I'm not a man, but I do agree. Most of the ones in my area w/out flyers don't have 800#'s. They have people on the other line, that plain and simple I don't want to talk to. I want my piece of paper, so that I can put it in my folder and have all the IMPORTANT info on it and if I choose so I can call.
I live in a climate where we have snow and ice. Most likely if we are in the middle of a snow or ice storm I won't be out looking at houses. Even if there was a little snow on the ground, I would rather get out and get that piece of paper instead of calling a number that I'm HOPING won't have a live person at the end of it. It's different strokes for different folks I guess.
I believe if you don't have flyers you are excluding a large number of buyers. It's not that expensive so what's the trouble and who cares if the neighbors take one. Like many people said before, maybe their friends or family want to move and maybe they're pushing your house. They may want their friends to live next door to them. You just never know.
You don't necessarily want to have photos showing the 3 plasma TVs inside the home or something like that which could tempt a thief who picks up a flyer.
I tend to like doing a large exterior front view on the front and one good sized picture on the back, either of something nice inside like the kitchen or a backyard item like a quality deck or pool.
If it is winter, the back of the flyer might have a picture of a room with a fireplace with a fire burning in it.
When we were selling our home the realtor put black and white sheets outside but with pictures and all and inside the house he put colored packets together with more information.
Would she not put pictures on the internet than. I agree with the other posters. I first need to make sure the house is in our price range (sometimes you can't tell) second I needed to see a picture of the kitchen and then the room sizes to tell if I was interested. Pictures are a great tool on the internet.
If you really like the agent than I would insist on the brochures outside, she is working for you. I don't see why she would lose a listing because she refuses to put the brochures outside.
If this realtor will not use flyer sheets outside, DO NOT USE THAT REALTOR. We are in the process of completeing a move from Chicago to Nashville and only had a few weekends to find a house and get an accepted offer. Our initial trip we changed our mind as to area, so we started looking in other areas. There were several houses that we passed by that we may have looked at, but no flyer sheet, and no time to call the listing agent, find out if it suited our needs and then schedule an appt. If a flyer sheet had been out front and we could have assessed right then if it was what we were looking for, we would have called the listing agent and set an appointment for that day. There are several homes in Brentwood and Franklin, TN that missed out on qualified buyers who wanted to close in 30 days all because there agent did not put out flyer sheets.
it appears real estate agents are the ones most opposed to flyers.
Perhaps they should consider who they work for and who they make their income from !
Actually, there are many different marketing models available to the real estate community. Some include flyers - others do not.
An analogy I can give you would be, some will use virtual tours - some don't.
The issue as I see it, as a Broker is, what are the individual agents RESULTS. If an agent has good results WITHOUT flyers - great.
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