Stupid Real Estate Agents (sale, attorneys, house)

[Father John]

I don't know how many real estate agents read these posts, but I hope several do.

I have been trying to research property in the area. Some web sites are very good, but others are just awful!! Here are some clues if you really want business. If you don't follow these basics, you will lost most people who may cross your site.

1) Never require registration to see information on a house. That is fastest way to get me to close the window and look for another RE web site.

2) Don't just list a few words about a property without any pictures! People need to see the home, including inside pictures, outside pictures, and the view of the surrounding area from the home. If you don't have this, you won't garner much interest - certainly not mine.

3) List DETAILS about the property! I can't believe how many listings don't even have the square feet of livable space! Give room sizes, unfinished areas, if there is a garage or carport, etc. Tell what kind of heating the home has, what kind of A/C (if any), how many fireplaces and whether they are gas or wood burning, etc. These are BASICS.

4) List extras! The more you list, the better one can make a decision. Tell if there is cable TV or satellite. Tell if there is internet access. Name the utility, phone, and other provider companies.

5) List your email in a prominent location so that if we are interested we can contact you. And then REPLY to emails! I can't tell you how many RE Agents I have contacted and never heard a peep from. That is bizarre.

Those of us who are looking for properties on the internet, through your web sites, are mostly looking LONG DISTANCE. We do not want a "showing." We want INFORMATION and PICTURES. We may come to your town and look for a home, but if you don't give us the information we need, we probably will go elsewhere.

It should be common sense. But common sense isn't very common....

[Auntiesocial]

Kinda makes you wonder how hard they work to sell those listings huh.
It is really annoying....

[BarbG]

I agree with John.

When we sold our home, we went out on the internet and picked an agent who was very internet savvy. He took great pics of our home, showed it in the best light, put TONS of info on the MLS listing, and our home sold within two days for more than the listing.

When we bought here in TN, we did the same thing. We found a buyer's agen that was very internet savvy. She would send the realtor info to us (which is more than the MLS listing), and we would tell her which we wanted to see. 80% of our communications while looking and leading up to the closing took place by e-mail, which suited us just fine.

That is the only way we will go again.

[CAtoGA]

I agree! I've spent the better part of a year looking at RE listings. When I come upon something that doesn't list details, I move on to the next without a second glance. What do I look for? Lot size (in acres if applicable), room sizes, pictures, garage, pictures, extra rooms, did I mention pictures? I really like those virtual tours. I also wonder, when they list the extra rooms like den, basement, office, etc., are they talking about one room being all of those, or is it that there are really so many bedrooms, a den, an office, and a basement/rec room? I really wish they would clarify that.

Thanks for listening (or reading???) Sometimes one just has to vent a bit. Have a great day!

[daniellefort]

You know what i did during my property search, I got in touch with a realtor (i'll be happy to share her info, she's in East TN) and whenever i found one of interest online no matter how little info was given, i just emailed her the MLS # and she sent me full details directly from the MLS sites which we as buyers don't have access to. she worked with us over a year until we finally found what we wanted.

[hilly7]

Father John, On personal or company sites loads of info can be listed but the MLS differs from one to the other just what you can put. Usually 6 pics max, 255 characters on the MLS at ours that's all you get, anything else is cut off.
Watch registration on some sites, you may get more email than wanted. Like throwing fresh meat in a Pirahna tank. You should be able to find a site for wherever you are that you don't have to register to look.

[shadowwalker]

I personally delt with 7 realtors in tennessee. I wouldn't even consider walking the office again on 6 of them. And on the one that was passable. I would, I just would check EVERYTHING they said. I will not take the word of a realtor in tennessee as 100% correct or lawful.

[Father John]

Originally Posted by daniellefort

You know what i did during my property search, I got in touch with a realtor (i'll be happy to share her info, she's in East TN) and whenever i found one of interest online no matter how little info was given, i just emailed her the MLS # and she sent me full details directly from the MLS sites which we as buyers don't have access to. she worked with us over a year until we finally found what we wanted.

This isn't a bad method when you know where you are headed, but I am looking from far western North Carolina to the eastern tip of Tennessee. One agent just isn't the answer. Plus, I don't always get a reply from a realtor. Finally, Realtors expect your business if you work with them - I won't commit to a realtor while just seeking information about homes.

No, they need to make the web sites better.

[daniellefort]

Originally Posted by Father John

This isn't a bad method when you know where you are headed, but I am looking from far western North Carolina to the eastern tip of Tennessee. One agent just isn't the answer. Plus, I don't always get a reply from a realtor. Finally, Realtors expect your business if you work with them - I won't commit to a realtor while just seeking information about homes.

No, they need to make the web sites better.

Well in our case, we were just looking for property in East TN. We told the realtor up front we want the info and we will mapquest our places of interest. She tried to set up appointment times but we told her how WE wanted to do things and she was fine with that. We spent a week driving around to every one we were interested 38 in all and the realtor knew she was just there to get us the info. If we had a question, we'd call her on her cell phone. Of course once we found what we wanted, we made the sale through her because she was so helpful and to give back to her. We did all our research online from FL and when we did buy, she closed the deal for us through an attorneys office while we were already back in FL. I also emailed several before i found her and nobody responded at all except her and i had emailed a lot. Now she's in the process of closing out a home for my Father in law as well.

[jimj]

I thought I was the only one going through all of this. Tried to contact a few of realtors and out of that only one replied and out of that, once I told him we were waiting for our house here to sell but looking for a new one, that was the last I heard from him.