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So I just had my home listed for about 6 weeks in Charlotte, NC. I wasn't 100% sure I wanted to sell so listed it on the high end, but after a bunch of showings and 1 not so great offer decided to take it off the market.
I guess there must be some sort of "list" of contact info for sellers that have taken their homes off the market but I immediately started getting several calls a day and some emails from real estate agents wanting to re-list it. Is this normal in other areas? I guess with everything that's available on the internet I shouldn't be surprised by the availability of my contact info, it just caught me off guard (and it probably would have been nice for the listing agent I used to warn me if this was common).
But what really annoyed me was that several of the calls I got said things like "I think I have some buyers for your property!" One just said that on a Voice Mail, but then sent an email that didn't even mention that and was just talking about how they specialized in selling homes that didn't sell the first time around...
So what are the chances that comments like that are actually legit? I'm guessing slim to none but don't necessarily want to rule out the possibility that it's legitimate. My thought is that if they were really acting in the best interest of their buyers they would be contacting the agent that had it listed, and not me directly? If pretending to have buyers is common practice in other areas, I think that probably contributes to the sleezy reputation that a lot of real estate agents get...
Your number was listed in the MLS (it was supposed to be) and that is where other agents are getting the number. From the old listing.
Some are buying it from third party operators that collect the data and sell it, but most are likely getting it straight from the mls.
I have called expired and cancelled listings. It's a fair source of leads, as we know you were recently interested in selling your home and still might be again.
Chances are slim someone who is calling actually has a buyer, but in a very low inventory area, it's possible. More probable is it's just a script tactic. I don't like it, and don't use it. I don't think it creates trust between agent and client.
If you really don't want to be contacted by other realtors, contact your former listing broker and have them remove your number from the system.
So I just had my home listed for about 6 weeks in Charlotte, NC. I wasn't 100% sure I wanted to sell so listed it on the high end, but after a bunch of showings and 1 not so great offer decided to take it off the market.
I guess there must be some sort of "list" of contact info for sellers that have taken their homes off the market but I immediately started getting several calls a day and some emails from real estate agents wanting to re-list it. Is this normal in other areas? I guess with everything that's available on the internet I shouldn't be surprised by the availability of my contact info, it just caught me off guard (and it probably would have been nice for the listing agent I used to warn me if this was common).
But what really annoyed me was that several of the calls I got said things like "I think I have some buyers for your property!" One just said that on a Voice Mail, but then sent an email that didn't even mention that and was just talking about how they specialized in selling homes that didn't sell the first time around...
So what are the chances that comments like that are actually legit? I'm guessing slim to none but don't necessarily want to rule out the possibility that it's legitimate. My thought is that if they were really acting in the best interest of their buyers they would be contacting the agent that had it listed, and not me directly? If pretending to have buyers is common practice in other areas, I think that probably contributes to the sleezy reputation that a lot of real estate agents get...
It IS sleazy to call people who didn't request the call. Very agent-centric "service."
Firms teach it to newbies, and many agents specialize in contacting Expired and Withdrawn listing homeowners. That turns it into a feeding frenzy.
I find it interesting that Diana says your phone number and email address were uploaded to the MLS. Unless you were handling all your own showings and negotiating for yourself, it is not done here.
But, it is not hard to find phone numbers or email addresses, if one really wants to sleuth and snoop.
GoPhils, do agents that want to show your home call you directly? Then your number would be in the listing.
Some areas do this, some require the buyer's agent to call the listing agent/listing agent's office and the listing side contacts the sellers re a showing or says there's a lockbox, go ahead.
Even if it's not in the listing, some of the newer agents or experienced agents' assistants will try to look it up. Even some experienced agents can have a section of their business that is contacting expired listings.
Expired listings come up on the mls daily read out along with new listings, sold listings, pending...whatever stati your area has for the listings.
I know some agent call and say they just sold a house down the street....friends will tell me and I can check and tell them that's not true. Or they just listed a house there....and that's not true.
However, sometimes it is true and sometimes the good agents do really sell homes this way, marketing them well and selling quickly too.
But, as you've experienced, you got some people that just speak and don't check their facts.
I guess there must be some sort of "list" of contact info for sellers that have taken their homes off the market but I immediately started getting several calls a day and some emails from real estate agents wanting to re-list it. Is this normal in other areas? I guess with everything that's available on the internet I shouldn't be surprised by the availability of my contact info, it just caught me off guard (and it probably would have been nice for the listing agent I used to warn me if this was common).
I took a listing off the market in November with the intention of putting it back on the market in February. I warned my clients that they would likely be inundated with marketing materials and perhaps calls/emails as well from other agents looking to win their business. They still couldn't believe how stuffed their mailbox was everyday. Too bad for those agents, I have a listing contract in place.
There are actually services that you can subscribe to that get a feed from MLS systems around the country and when they get notice that a listing has expired they scrape up your email address and phone number and put it into their system so that their subscribers can harass you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoPhils
But what really annoyed me was that several of the calls I got said things like "I think I have some buyers for your property!" One just said that on a Voice Mail, but then sent an email that didn't even mention that and was just talking about how they specialized in selling homes that didn't sell the first time around...
So what are the chances that comments like that are actually legit? I'm guessing slim to none but don't necessarily want to rule out the possibility that it's legitimate. My thought is that if they were really acting in the best interest of their buyers they would be contacting the agent that had it listed, and not me directly? If pretending to have buyers is common practice in other areas, I think that probably contributes to the sleezy reputation that a lot of real estate agents get...
This is a common tactic taught to new agents. The odds of them having a buyer are approximately ZERO. If they had a buyer, they would have brought them when your house was on the market. Now if you get a phone call/letter/email a couple of months after your off the market then that might be a different story, but immediately after your listing is canceled? I don't think so.
Frankly, I find this practice unbelievably sleezy. I always wonder who actually falls for this.
I have to say though marketing to expired/canceled listings in this fashion makes up 90% of the conversations on RE agent Facebook groups.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diana Holbrook
Your number was listed in the MLS (it was supposed to be) and that is where other agents are getting the number. From the old listing.
If you really don't want to be contacted by other realtors, contact your former listing broker and have them remove your number from the system.
I've worked with several buyers over the years who have relocated from the Seattle area and they've told me that when they sell back in Washington their contact info goes into MLS so that agents can contact them to setup showings. I don't believe this is a common practice in any other states and I believe the OP is not from WA. So, likely the agents are getting his phone number and email address from a service.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeJaquish
I find it interesting that Diana says your phone number and email address were uploaded to the MLS. Unless you were handling all your own showings and negotiating for yourself, it is not done here.
But, it is not hard to find phone numbers or email addresses, if one really wants to sleuth and snoop.
She's from Washington state. My understanding is that it's common practice to put the seller's contact information on the listing in MLS. Seems like a rather bad idea for you to put your client's contact information where every agent can find it, but it's what they do out there.
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.
GoPhils, do agents that want to show your home call you directly? Then your number would be in the listing.
No, the showings were all done via an app.
Yeah after Diana's post I did go back and look at what I am pretty sure was the official MLS listing and did not see my contact info (good to see later that that's not really normal). After thinking about it I'm not surprised they were able to find it out, I guess it just took me by surprise.
I do get that withdrawn listings could be good leads for agents, but if you're gonna call at least be honest. Some were, but most were either claiming they had a potential buyer and a few left messages just saying stuff like "Hey it's Tony!" not even saying they were a real estate agent.
I responded to the email I mentioned above with "So I take it you don't actually have someone that was interested in making an offer?"
And they came back with:
"Currently I don’t have someone looking to draw up paperwork today. HOWEVER, we have a pool of buyers that we are always looking for inventory for as well with our marketing that we do when we list your property for sale draws another reach of buyers that you have not been marketed to before."
I do get that withdrawn listings could be good leads for agents, but if you're gonna call at least be honest. Some were, but most were either claiming they had a potential buyer and a few left messages just saying stuff like "Hey it's Tony!" not even saying they were a real estate agent.
* Check with your local board - you may be able to file a complaint. In Texas, we must identify ourselves as agents
And they came back with:
"Currently I don’t have someone looking to draw up paperwork today. HOWEVER, we have a pool of buyers that we are always looking for inventory for as well with our marketing that we do when we list your property for sale draws another reach of buyers that you have not been marketed to before."
*ugh. sleezy.
Sorry!!!
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