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How often do you actually "speak" to your Realtor?
How much inteaction is normal and expected?
Does you realtor really KNOW your home?
Mine has been here once - the day she came to present her sales pitch, take pictures of my home and have me sign the contact. I have never seen her since. Is that normal?
My realtor only sends me automatic findings such as this:
The following activity took place through our web presence. Yesterday:
On Prudential Real Estate
Your property was returned in the results of 2 searches.
Your property was viewed in Search Results 2 times.
In the last week:
On Prudential Real Estate
Your property was returned in the results of 22 searches.
Your property was viewed in Search Results 14 times.
The Property Details page for your listing was viewed 3 times.
On Yahoo!
Your property was clicked on 1 time to get more information on the Prudential Real Estate site.
In the last 30 days:
On Prudential Real Estate
Your property was returned in the results of 101 searches.
Your property was viewed in Search Results 69 times.
The Property Details page for your listing was viewed 7 times.
I had a Realtor 'Tour' the first week we had it listed -- three came. My own Realtor didn't even show up!
In fact, she has only been in my house once. Is that normal?
Trying to get feedback from her is like pulling teeth. She says it's because the other realtors don't fill out the form she has online. I asked her why she couldn't call them herself and she got rather defensive.
Also, 2 of the whopping 4 showings I've had were not even qualified! I do not know about the other 2 - they were from out of town. I was really disappointed that she allowed unqualified people to come through since it's a 6000 square foot house and I have to make sure it's showroom ready on my own (I do not have a cleaning woman, but don't really need one as it's just my SO and myself living here.) not to mention, it just seems unprofessional to let unqualified buyers through a client's house.
Our Realtor recently suggested this to me:
"I spoke with some of the other listing agents that have homes listed in your area/price range and we discussed coordinating a group effort to offer an incentive to bring in buyers. The agents I spoke to were in favor of this but all agreed that it would have to be a substantial incentive such as $10,000 toward buyer closing costs or some other attractive incentive. This could be done on an individual basis as an alternative to the group effort as well."
Great about 3 months too late. The selling season is just about over now.
Then to top things off. When we were due to be out of town, she asked if we could have another Realtor Tour. I said yes, even though only 3 realtors came (2 from the same office) the last time. I requested she be there because we have some very expensive items that can't be put away easily. Her response was this:
"Also, as we discussed, please check with **** and let me know if we can have another realtor tour on August 25. I promise I would monitor the property during this time and make sure it is left the way you want it. I would be able to stay at the house during the tour. I would also like to be able to show your property while you are in Florida if the opportunity arises. Once again, I can be there for all showings during this time and make sure everything is perfect and secured."
Well guess what?
She never showed up. And of course, someone took a poop in our first floor bathroom and never flushed! (There is a lockbox outside) Not to mention, she never even came into the house.
How do I know? Because of the bathroom situation and my SO left a pan in the sink! The dishwasher was empty, SO meant to put it in there but forgot because of being preoccupied with dropping our two yorkies off at the Pets Hotel which is around a 45 minute drive away and catch a 830 am flight - about 45 minutes in the OTHER direction of said pet hotel!
Also because she so kindly wrote to me to let me know that she had brought in a package that arrived at our door and brought it inside. It was still next to the door. If she had been there, she would have known WHO - if anyone - came by and she cannot recall.
Not to mention, who lets a dirty dish remain in the sink when showing a home?I asked her to make sure it was in perfect shape before showing because I knew SO was going to be running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. I wasn't asking her to clean, I would never expect that. Our house is super clean most of the time.
So what do you make of all this? Opinions? Anyone?
Thanks!
joseph, you are going to get a lot of "kick her to the curb" replies. and in fact, she may need to be fired. I, however, haven't heard both sides of the tale, so I am going to go out on a limb and suggest the following:
Ask her to come to your home for a meeting with you and significant other. Detail your issues with her just as you have detailed them to us. think of her as your employee. Find out what she has to say. IF, at any time, you are unimpressed with her side. Fire her. Get a new agent. Some of my clients prefer email updates and some prefer the phone call. I believe communication is whatever way my client requests!! and she should call once a week (if that is your preferred method) whether she has anything to report or not.
also, ask her to bring the stats with her for the comps that she did when she listed the house. Are the actives still active? if not, why not? she should be updating this for you regularly so you make sure you are still competitive.
joseph, you are going to get a lot of "kick her to the curb" replies. and in fact, she may need to be fired. I, however, haven't heard both sides of the tale, so I am going to go out on a limb and suggest the following:
Ask her to come to your home for a meeting with you and significant other. Detail your issues with her just as you have detailed them to us. think of her as your employee. Find out what she has to say. IF, at any time, you are unimpressed with her side. Fire her. Get a new agent. Some of my clients prefer email updates and some prefer the phone call. I believe communication is whatever way my client requests!! and she should call once a week (if that is your preferred method) whether she has anything to report or not.
also, ask her to bring the stats with her for the comps that she did when she listed the house. Are the actives still active? if not, why not? she should be updating this for you regularly so you make sure you are still competitive.
Shelly
Thank you for replying. We have bought & sold many homes. This is our second time selling in a down market.
I think you suggestion of asking he to COME OVER with the comps is a great one. The question of "Are the actives still active, if not why not is excellent!" That in itself should shed some light on the situation.
I hate firing a Realtor because then you run the risk of being blacklisted. In this market (and this small town) I do not want to risk that.
Like many sellers,you probably did not know what you expected out of a listing relationship and made some assumptions. Incompatibility in terms of communication is a common issue in real estate. Agents and their prospective clients often click or not, based on luck of the draw. It does not have to be this way.
Many sellers focus on the suggested listing price and not what the agent intends to do and when, to market the property and communicate on an ongoing basis. Agents know this and often play to what the seller wants to hear....confirmation of their home's value. The rest is rather fuzzy.
There are aqents like this in all markets. The only time they are in your home is when they are in sales mode and want you to sign the listing agreement. The emails you are receiving are generated by web metrics available from most major sites.
That you have been listed for at least 3 months and have had only 4 showings says something about your market and thus your property.
What's the price point of your home?
What other homes at this price point have gone under contract and/or closed since you listed?
What happens if you overwinter?
also, ask her to bring the stats with her for the comps that she did when she listed the house. Are the actives still active? if not, why not? she should be updating this for you regularly so you make sure you are still competitive.
Shelly
Good advice, Shelly.
That the OP has to ask for stats suggests she is not doing her job.
.
I agree with MAM that you need to talk to your agent. I have had clients who asked me not to call them. They only wanted to talk to schedule a showing or talk offers. So I did that.
I have had clients that want updates every week. I do that. Most clients are okay with my twice a month summaries that I send out via email. Most of my clients text and email and that is how we communicate. I tell people this at listing. If that doesn't work for them we agree how they want to work with me.
I run comps twice a month, and I think they should be run a minimum of every 30 days. Out here luxury homes aren't moving so every 30 days would suffice.
Like many sellers,you probably did not know what you expected out of a listing relationship and made some assumptions. Incompatibility in terms of communication is a common issue in real estate. Agents and their prospective clients often click or not, based on luck of the draw. It does not have to be this way.
Many sellers focus on the suggested listing price and not what the agent intends to do and when, to market the property and communicate on an ongoing basis. Agents know this and often play to what the seller wants to hear....confirmation of their home's value. The rest is rather fuzzy.
There are aqents like this in all markets. The only time they are in your home is when they are in sales mode and want you to sign the listing agreement. The emails you are receiving are generated by web metrics available from most major sites.
That you have been listed for at least 3 months and have had only 4 showings says something about your market and thus your property.
What's the price point of your home?
What other homes at this price point have gone under contract and/or closed since you listed?
What happens if you overwinter?
When does your listing agreement expire?
Those are very valid statements. However, I am in disagreement with one which is that I, "probably did not know what you expected out of a listing relationship and made some assumptions." This is our 6th home in 20 years, I'm pretty comfortable with what I should/should not expect. Since this is listed with a relocation company, I had a choice of 3 Realtors. I chose "C" because I am also working with her sister office up north to find a home, her listing price was not 100K higher than what I knew was realistic (although she was still 40K OVER what I felt was a fair price) and she seemed like she knew what she was doing.
I STILL think she knows what she's doing, but I feel she has dropped the ball for whatever reason on our house.
I wish I could get my hands on the MLS then I could compare on my own. I really need someone who is familiar with the area as I am not from here. When I look at the comps, I could not tell you if the homes are a street away or 10 miles away! This is a fairly rural area that is becoming more suburban. Therein lies our problem I think. This area is not built out - which was not a problem when we bought - thinking this was our "forever" home. Since the accident, this has become more of our "cursed" home! IYKWIM.
I would have rather have listed it at an even lower price in the beginning. Our agent felt she had a valid point when not lowering it right off the bat as she said that people would think, "What's wrong with it?" Now I feel that was a mistake, but hind sight is everything huh?
I hate the way homes gradually drop in price. I don't feel one is warranted at this time only because the market is SO slow right now and with holidays coming up it will only get more so. But I think that if the market is still as slow come spring I will need to drop it significantly.
2 homes have sold in my price range.
I actually can't get to my email at this time, so I cannot give you a number for how many were/are listed in our pice range. And quite frankly, I wouldn't even know where they are located. That is why it is crucial I have an aggressive Realtor at my side. Most other times I have been able to get this information on my own just from knowing the area. I don't have a clue what is around here.
Because I am with a relocation company the contract was signed for one year. I'm sure if I complained to them they would let me choose someone else. I don't think firing her at this time would be beneficial because of the seasonal change coming. But I do value everyone's comments and opinions and will consider all options put forth to me.
How often do you actually "speak" to your Realtor?
How much inteaction is normal and expected? You set your mutual expectations at the time you sign the listing. Some sellers want to hear something every other day, and some want an update once a week.
Does you realtor really KNOW your home?
Mine has been here once - the day she came to present her sales pitch, take pictures of my home and have me sign the contact. I have never seen her since. Is that normal? Unless she is showing the home herself, there is no reason to come and check on it since you still live there and the home is not vacant.
I had a Realtor 'Tour' the first week we had it listed -- three came. My own Realtor didn't even show up! Realtors touring it know what to look for, they are not looking for a tour guide.
In fact, she has only been in my house once. Is that normal?
Trying to get feedback from her is like pulling teeth. She says it's because the other realtors don't fill out the form she has online. I asked her why she couldn't call them herself and she got rather defensive. Realtors are HORRIBLE about giving feedback. If someone liked your home they'll remember it or come back for a second look. I would suggest that you put a notepad in the house asking for feedback from the agent and the buyers. They're on the spot and will likely put something down. Sometimes they are too polite to put anything negative, so be prepared to hear "nice home, we're still looking".
Also, 2 of the whopping 4 showings I've had were not even qualified! I do not know about the other 2 - they were from out of town. I was really disappointed that she allowed unqualified people to come through since it's a 6000 square foot house and I have to make sure it's showroom ready on my own (I do not have a cleaning woman, but don't really need one as it's just my SO and myself living here.) not to mention, it just seems unprofessional to let unqualified buyers through a client's house. Many people take many months looking for a home and are not ready to sit down with a lender yet, they may be savvy enough to know what they can afford. Are you allowing showings only for people that have an approval letter? If so, you are limiting yourself a lot.
Our Realtor recently suggested this to me:
"I spoke with some of the other listing agents that have homes listed in your area/price range and we discussed coordinating a group effort to offer an incentive to bring in buyers. The agents I spoke to were in favor of this but all agreed that it would have to be a substantial incentive such as $10,000 toward buyer closing costs or some other attractive incentive. This could be done on an individual basis as an alternative to the group effort as well."
Great about 3 months too late. The selling season is just about over now.
Then to top things off. When we were due to be out of town, she asked if we could have another Realtor Tour. I said yes, even though only 3 realtors came (2 from the same office) the last time. I requested she be there because we have some very expensive items that can't be put away easily. Her response was this:
"Also, as we discussed, please check with **** and let me know if we can have another realtor tour on August 25. I promise I would monitor the property during this time and make sure it is left the way you want it. I would be able to stay at the house during the tour. I would also like to be able to show your property while you are in Florida if the opportunity arises. Once again, I can be there for all showings during this time and make sure everything is perfect and secured."
Well guess what?
She never showed up. And of course, someone took a poop in our first floor bathroom and never flushed! (There is a lockbox outside) Not to mention, she never even came into the house.
How do I know? Because of the bathroom situation and my SO left a pan in the sink! The dishwasher was empty, SO meant to put it in there but forgot because of being preoccupied with dropping our two yorkies off at the Pets Hotel which is around a 45 minute drive away and catch a 830 am flight - about 45 minutes in the OTHER direction of said pet hotel!
Also because she so kindly wrote to me to let me know that she had brought in a package that arrived at our door and brought it inside. It was still next to the door. If she had been there, she would have known WHO - if anyone - came by and she cannot recall.
Not to mention, who lets a dirty dish remain in the sink when showing a home?I asked her to make sure it was in perfect shape before showing because I knew SO was going to be running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. I wasn't asking her to clean, I would never expect that. Our house is super clean most of the time. I think you need to confront her about this. This is very unprofessional.
So what do you make of all this? Opinions? Anyone?
Thanks!
Since you are working with a relocation company, I think that I this point you can speak to her broker and have another Realtor if not the broker themselves handle your listing.
Yes, you need new comps every month. Also, go visit your competition so you see how your home measures up.
One other thing from what you mention:
Why do you think that out of 101 homes returned was your home not viewed more? Are the pictures good enough? Are you priced too high and buyers know that so they don't bother going further? Look at your listing online.
In the last 30 days:
Your property was returned in the results of 101 searches.
Your property was viewed in Search Results 69 times.
The Property Details page for your listing was viewed 7 times.
Naima
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IYKWIM.
