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Some people are hypersensitive to pets. Not just the smell of pets, the existence of pets. If they can't actually smell them they will still claim to. If only one person said this, and no one else could smell it, I wouldn't worry about it.
Hopefully more later on the rest... that's all for now.
Correct, it was feedback from only one agent. Sadly the only feedback that we received, I guess. So we are also hoping that it was just someone who is hyper sensitive to pet smells. We’ve looked at plenty of homes with pets living in them and never had a concern over scents. We keep our home very tidy, especially with this going on, so the accusation that we have “strong pet odors” was very concerning to us.
Sounds like it's a lot of little things that's just added up for you causing doubts. Miscommunication or one sided communication (share your concerns with him!), a missed comp, the general stress of moving.
If I can help...
The missed comp probably shouldn't be a big deal in the long run by itself. If you're cookie cutter, there would be other comps. If your home is really unique, comps probably don't mean much anyway. The market will determine your sales price, not the comps or you or your agent. The best he can do is try and make sure you don't leave money on the table. Sometimes people present me with "comps" that aren't really comps, but I'll look at it and thank them for pointing it out. Sometimes for the engineers I may explain why I can't use it, because they want details. It may be from 2 years ago, or a one story vs. a 2 story, etc. Not sure about yours obviously, but maybe he was being nice to not hurt your feelings?
Working with it everyday, he probably took for granted the showing service. Let him know so he can be better in the future. Sometimes, professionals take things for granted when they deal with it daily (regardless of whether it's selling homes or making widgets.) Maybe since you're a repeat client, he may have thought you were already familiar?
An agent is either good or not good at marketing, so market conditions are irrelevant. Good photos, good description, marketed to the most likely buyer? If so the fact he's only been in a sellers market probably is fine.
Some people have a stronger sense of smell than others. Mine isn't great for example. Sometimes I don't notice odor much and then I get feedback on it. Wait and see if it's recurring. The fact they are having open houses and getting you feedback is much more than most agents do. And he's being honest with you about the feedback. I think this is big checkmark in his favor, not one against him that he didn't smell the cat.
W/o getting too much in the weeds on the other stuff, he knows the market presumably. For example, if he knew the home was a good fit and inventory is low, I'll assume that's why he encouraged you to make an offer. How many homes did those picky buyers miss out on that would have been a good fit? They are still looking and may regret being so picky later on. I've found that passing on a good fit doesn't often yield better results in a hot market.
I've had some truly wonderful people that I could barely tolerate when they get stressed. I'm thinking you don't manage your stress well. Try to manage what you control and let the rest go because ultimately I think it's magnifying events for you. If you feel you need a change, no time like the present.
Sounds like it's a lot of little things that's just added up for you causing doubts. Miscommunication or one sided communication (share your concerns with him!), a missed comp, the general stress of moving.
If I can help...
The missed comp probably shouldn't be a big deal in the long run by itself. If you're cookie cutter, there would be other comps. If your home is really unique, comps probably don't mean much anyway. The market will determine your sales price, not the comps or you or your agent. The best he can do is try and make sure you don't leave money on the table. Sometimes people present me with "comps" that aren't really comps, but I'll look at it and thank them for pointing it out. Sometimes for the engineers I may explain why I can't use it, because they want details. It may be from 2 years ago, or a one story vs. a 2 story, etc. Not sure about yours obviously, but maybe he was being nice to not hurt your feelings?
Working with it everyday, he probably took for granted the showing service. Let him know so he can be better in the future. Sometimes, professionals take things for granted when they deal with it daily (regardless of whether it's selling homes or making widgets.) Maybe since you're a repeat client, he may have thought you were already familiar?
An agent is either good or not good at marketing, so market conditions are irrelevant. Good photos, good description, marketed to the most likely buyer? If so the fact he's only been in a sellers market probably is fine.
Some people have a stronger sense of smell than others. Mine isn't great for example. Sometimes I don't notice odor much and then I get feedback on it. Wait and see if it's recurring. The fact they are having open houses and getting you feedback is much more than most agents do. And he's being honest with you about the feedback. I think this is big checkmark in his favor, not one against him that he didn't smell the cat.
W/o getting too much in the weeds on the other stuff, he knows the market presumably. For example, if he knew the home was a good fit and inventory is low, I'll assume that's why he encouraged you to make an offer. How many homes did those picky buyers miss out on that would have been a good fit? They are still looking and may regret being so picky later on. I've found that passing on a good fit doesn't often yield better results in a hot market.
I've had some truly wonderful people that I could barely tolerate when they get stressed. I'm thinking you don't manage your stress well. Try to manage what you control and let the rest go because ultimately I think it's magnifying events for you. If you feel you need a change, no time like the present.
Thank you, Brandon Hoffman, for your insights. I appreciate what you're saying, and it does take some of the edge off.
One thing that particularly has stood out about his marketing strategy is his extreme focus on open houses. A quick Google search will produce tons of industry articles arguing that open houses generally work best for the listing agent, not the seller or their home. Here's just one quick read on that topic: https://www.homelight.com/blog/are-o...uses-worth-it/. We've had one, now he wants another. And our take on this is that the young, savvy people who are going to be seriously interested in our home are going to have already viewed it a bunch of times on Zillow, Redfin, or other online shopping sites. We believe that open houses are a dated selling tool, and they aren't particularly drawing people to our community, which is not in a dense residential area. It's actually a bit hidden, which is part of its draw for some. We think the marketing tools need to be more savvy, more focused in on a specific demographic who will be interested in our home.
We've worked with him a couple of times, but we both had the benefit of a hot market a couple years ago. People were throwing "the whole farm" and more to get into your property, and most properties priced well were off the market in days, not weeks. We are concerned that he may not be as effective in a slower market. I've read up a lot on the post and pray realtor type (https://www.maxrealestateexposure.co...-pray-realtor/), and I'm a little worried this may be his forte.
At any rate, you're correct about not worrying about what is out of our control. We are going to re-assess after this weekend what we wish to do going forward, whether it's with him or someone else.
Some people are hypersensitive to pets. Not just the smell of pets, the existence of pets. If they can't actually smell them they will still claim to. If only one person said this, and no one else could smell it, I wouldn't worry about it.
Hopefully more later on the rest... that's all for now.
Great point. Our agent saw our dog's leash laying around and said the same -- some people see a dog leash and imagine dog smells. He advised that we remove all dog/pet articles before showings.
After a lifetime of experience with real estate, I can state the following....as the "standard" for Realtors.
1. They don't sell your house. But they can definitely ruin a sale.
2. The Market is largely the Market. If you get 20+ potential buyers through the house and no serious offers, likely the price is wrong.
3. The Market right now generally is not great.....of course, we could say that the same has been true for a decade or more, but what else is new?
People shop online these days. Most astute buyers find a good portion of the properties they want to see before contacting a Realtor.
We have a property up for Sale right now. I don't expect the Realtor to do anything other than what they normally do....their so-called "marketing" is always a joke. People see properties on Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com.
The Realtor, IMHO, has to do these things.....
1. Communicate well with other Realtors and make sure showing happen on a timely basis.
2. Make sure then their own agents show the house that they know answers to most questions.
3. Make the Sale happen AFTER a buyer is found.
#3 is perhaps the most important part.
There are certainly exceptions to these rules - but, in general, it's not the Realtors job to sell something for more than it is worth...or, to sell it at all. Good pictures, a good listing(s), showing it and then following through on the sale.
No magic involved.....
Our property may not sell in the first 120 days. I will probably re-up because I don't hold and fantasies that another Realtor has the Magic Buyer waiting in the wings.
...I don't hold and fantasies that another Realtor has the Magic Buyer waiting in the wings.
What do you think the biggest differentiator between agents is? Does it generally just boil down to whose communication style you prefer? Is there more to marketing than posting to the MLS and holding open houses? Is there any sort of networking involved, in that agents can call up other agents in their network to locate an appropriate buyer? Or do most realtors subscribe to the post and pray method of selling? I'm trying to learn more about this myself, so I can be a more informed shopper in the future.
What do you think the biggest differentiator between agents is? Does it generally just boil down to whose communication style you prefer?
Experience, communication, education, demeanor and mindset.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iSudo
Is there more to marketing than posting to the MLS and holding open houses?
Yes, it's about how the property is presented online. Good photos, video, description written to appeal to the most likely buyer (first timer/downsizer/growing family/etc). It's about making adjustments as needed based on market reaction. It's about how the respond to potential buyers/agents.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iSudo
Is there any sort of networking involved, in that agents can call up other agents in their network to locate an appropriate buyer? Or do most realtors subscribe to the post and pray method of selling?
No, unless you're in a tiny market there are thousands of agents out there and I have no idea which one has/may have a potential buyer. I've never heard of an agent sitting around calling other agents to promote a resale. Builders agents will call to promote their communities. There are 4200 agents in my market. I can't call them all, plus I'd **** off a lot of agents interrupting their day to tell them I have a listing. It would probably be counterproductive to **** off the buyer agents. If they have a buyer, I'll trust they find it on MLS or their buyer finds it online. In today's world, if a buyer is looking they'll find your property if it fits their needs.
Assuming everything else (marketing/condition/etc) is correct, it boils down to price. I usually have a pretty good idea where the price needs to be. When I list a property I have a pretty good idea how fast it will and what it will sell for. Sometimes I'm wrong. Sometimes the seller won't listen to me and then blames me when their property doesn't sell.
All I can do is manage a sale. I can't make buyers appear with a snap of my fingers. House isn't selling? Another agent can't do anything differently or better than me. Seller either has to wait or reduce the price. All we can do is manage the transaction and try and set our client's expectations properly.
Also, to your other post: open houses are more effective in some markets than others.
I will take your word for it. We also live in a less dense, hidden community that people don't intentionally drive through without a purpose. So my take is that people who are coming to see our house have already scoped it out on Zillow or other sites. That's why I'd rather focus on luring those people in as opposed to the crowd of Lookie Loos, Nosy Neighbors, and potential burglars.
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