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I understand many sellers complain about realtors not doing enough, etc. My question is "What is enough?" What should a seller expect from a realtor? How often should a realtor be communicating with their client. I think there would be a lot less complaints if sellers knew what to expect from their agent and how often to expect it. I am not sure if my realtor is doing what's considered standard for the industry, not enough or too much. I am not one to complain often, however with as much money as there is involved in a real estate transaction, you would think there would be some standard by which to measure a realtors performance.
How often do you want your real estate agent to communicate with you? and by what method? That is a crucial bit of information that should be discussed up front. I have some sellers that only want me to email them periodically. Others want a phone call at least once a week. I try to match my style with their style. There is no standard for the industry. You are the employer and I work for you. You set the standard for what you feel you need.
I have been 1/2 hour from closing and not been given a time. Night before closing and appraisal not completed (or so I thought, apparently they did a "drive by" appraisal).
I understand not having any news to share during the showing process, but once the contract has been signed most people (buyers and sellers alike) would like to be kept in the loop. This is where I seem to lose faith in Realtors. I have bought and sold a few times, and I am always the one calling to ask if things are progressing. It is like getting punched in the stomach when your agent tells you that the appraisal or financing came through a few days ago and the only reason you are hearing about it is because you called, and called, and called.
I always ask for at least an e-mail when there is any news. I have yet to find an agent that plays along.
I don't believe this was ever discussed. Should the realtor ask the client or vice versa? Now that we are over two months into the process, how do we handle it? We just keep getting more and more frustrated. We tend to email our realtor, but it seems to take days for a reply. I guess I am just from a background that I am constantly checking email and that I would hope that they would at least check their's half as much as I check mine. I definitely do not want to cause friction between ourselves and our realtor. She seems like a very nice person. We just feel she talked a big talk in the beginning and now it feels like she is mostly nonexistent.
Evey, I am so sorry to hear that. If you ever move to Va. beach, let me know!! I talk to my clients almost too much!! Even if we have nothing to say... Hi, just calling to say there is nothing to say : ) I sometimes really miss my clients after the closing.. we used to talk all the time, and now nothing....
Sometimes, on the sellers side we won't get appraisal information, unless it is bad news. I have begged other agents, and all they will say is no news is good news. Now, I am not asking for the appraisal number, as it is none of my sellers business. I just want to know that all is good and we are moving forward. That contingency is gone, so my sellers have peace of mind.
When you go to hire the next agent, not only should you interview, but ask for references. If buying, from buyers clients and if selling, sellers clients. Communication is important to you, ask the reference how the agent held up during the different phases.
The appraisal is ordered and paid for by the buyers. It is the buyers appraisal, not the sellers. Even though you may be giving a sellers concession to pay a portion of the closing costs and prepaids, you didn't actually pay for the appraisal. you gave the money to the buyer, who paid for the appraisal. Make sense? I know, not really... but that is how it is looked at.
For instance, your girlfriend wants a new pair of shoes. You give her the money to buy the shoes (you want her to be happy, right?) She buys the shoes. The shoes are hers, not yours. And no, you may not wear her stilleto heels without permission, lol : )
Who ever said finding a good real estate agent is like finding a good mechanic is on the money. I'm amazed at stories of how many agents don't follow through once a house is in escrow, I guess they figure it will take care of itself and they're on to the next transaction.
When my wife and I were moving to a city 90 miles away, we went up and looked at a couple of open houses and stopped by a couple of realtor offices and told them we were beginning our search for a house because we had to move for job reasons. Of the six agents we talked to, all said they would send us information about what was on the market in our price range, recent sales, etc. so we could get our bearings before looking at houses. Only one agent followed through and sent us the info. She is a now a family friend and in the 15 years we have bought and sold more than $2 million in real estate with her and recommended her to friends who used her on another $1 million in transactions.
As one poster said, you are the boss and the agent is employed by you. I'd make it clear what type and frequency of commnication you expect.
Liz, yes, handle the communication issue now. If you are two months into the process, ask your realtor to do a new CMA and come to your home and present it to you. also, if she has done any advertising, bring you samples of what has been done, including your current agents copy of the MLS listing. don't plan to beat her up, but let her know you are back in the saddle and it is a partnership. go over the cma to make sure you are in the ballpark for selling. Ask what the days on market are for your neighborhood, area, price range... whatever. When she is there, tell her you like regular communication and you would like to work out how it will be accomplished. Regular phone calls? Pick the day. I like mondays after the weekend, my partners (and mother) likes Fridays before the weekend. If it is email, how soon should you expect a response from her? and you would like a regular update weekly, not just on your home but what the market is doing. What sold, and for how much? etc...
liz, a way to measure a realtor's performance is this. Remember when you interviewed your agent, they said for this amount I will do this this this and this..... Is there walk what their talk was. I make a guarantee at every interview I go on, if ever my walk isn't what my talk is, regardless of the term of the listing, fire me.
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