Are listing agents willing to advise & oversee maintenance for out of town client? (closing, seller)

[MerriMAC]

A home owner currently is out of area and has a renter with an expiring lease. Then the home owner wants to sell it. The paperwork can be done electronically or fax/fedex so no need for the home owner to return back to the property.

After the renter moves out, painting and routine maintenance will need to be done before listing and showing. Are most listing agents willing to take responsibility for overseeing these tasks for the home owner who is out of the area? Or, is the advice just to sell as-is with a lower listing price? Or, make the buyer request $$$$ for the repairs? etc.

[lindy112]

We just helped an out-of-town seller upgrade his house with granite countertops, new carpet/hardwoods, painting, fixing some wood rot on the porch, upgraded landscaping, etc. We got a key from his vacating tenant and oversaw all the work to be done. The seller hasn't seen his house in 5 years and we'll end up closing without him ever seeing it again. All of this work cost him about $10,000 so it only worked because he trusted us that it all needed to be done in the first place (of course, we sent LOTS of pictures). In our area, there's so much competition from new construction, your listing has to look great to be competitive (or priced much lower than new).

[Joe Van Fossen]

I would say most listing agents would be willing to take the responsibility. I'm going to be doing that for a client of mine who is moving overseas in about two weeks.

[2bindenver]

Think of this as a business partnership. If you ask and are willing to listen to what is needed to get the property sold, and form a professional relationship with reasonable expectations.