1. I am newly licensed.
Everyone has to start somewhere. The super star agents of today were, at some point, brand spanking new. Often, however, sellers never ask nor are told the experience level of the associate who shows up at their door with contracts, for-sale signs and a nervous smile. Honesty and full disclosure from the Realtor® are essential when looking out for the best interests of the seller. Disclosing to the seller at the onset that this is the agents first, or one of their first, transactions does not have to result in a, “no thank you, we are looking for someone with more experience”, from the seller. A future top producer should be able to alleviate the fears a seller might have in allowing a greenhorn to handle this important transaction. Sellers that are made aware that their agent is new would have the opportunity to ask several important questions that could offset their concerns including but not limited to the following:A new agent, freshly licensed, can prove to be a great choice for sellers. Their enthusiasm level is extremely high. At this stage in their careers they are constantly consulting with their manger or trainer, receiving pointers and help that ultimately benefit the seller. Tell the seller. The seller has the right to know and will appreciate your forthcoming. It can be a win-win situation if it starts off right.
2. I work part-time as a Realtor®.
This should be a mandatory disclosure that every licensed real estate agent must provide a seller. How many sellers would entrust the handling of their possibly single largest financial transaction in to the hands of an agent who is only working part-time at real estate and full time at another job? Could you imagine a physician, attorney, dentist or accountant working part-time in their profession? Would you feel confident and assured in their services? Realtor® s hold themselves as the professionals of home sales. Sellers are willing to pay substantial commissions for successful closings handled by those who they believe are educated, on top of market trends and are full time sales agents. A seller has the right to know that the agent they are interviewing is only doing real estate sales as a part-time job. Contract negotiations, home showings, inspection appointments, appraisals, contract time contingencies, a professional marketing plan and other elements of a successful home sale important to a seller, requires the real estate licensee to be available and ready on a FULL TIME basis. A seller expects nothing less.
3. I have no marketing plan for your home.
Everything seems to be in order. The agent presents page after page of numbers and statistics that indicate pricing for the home. The seller is pleased with the price, the estimated proceeds the seller will receive at closing and the friendly and charming personality of the Realtor® who is making the presentation. The listing contract is signed, measurements of the home’s rooms are taken and a shiny, new for-sale sign is planted on the front lawn. After the seller and Realtor® exchange their goodbyes, the seller closes the front door confident of an offer the next day. After 2 weeks have passed the seller, still with guarded optimism, makes a call to the listing agent looking for an update. The agent first apologizes for not calling the seller sooner. The agent explains to the seller that the home has been entered in the local multiple listing service, information about the seller’s home was printed last week in the local paper’s classified section and if there is no activity in a few weeks, a Sunday open house will be scheduled. Just before hanging up the agent reminds the seller that this is a buyer’s market, patience is the key.
So what happened? The seller reviews the price to confirm that it is in the range suggested by the agent to be competitive with similar style homes in the market area. The seller has made sure to clean the clutter, turn on all the lights, bake the cookies and has a lockbox on the door so the home can be seen at a moments notice. Shouldn’t there have been some activity in the past two weeks? Shouldn’t the home be under contract by now? The hard reality is, besides entering the data into the multiple listing service, a sign in the yard and the occasional classified ad, the seller cannot recall their agent mentioning any other type of marketing. Bottom line is that if a home is priced correctly, it now competes with other correctly priced homes similar in size and style. The seller would benefit greatly from a proven, unique, marketing plan directed to capturing the attention of the limited group of buyers searching for such a home. Sellers could have been made to feel more confident if early on their agent had explained in detail the marketing plan for their home. Such marketing plans might include:
4. I am afraid of you.
Maybe one of the most overlooked reasons a home does not sell. The agent, either real or implied by inaction, fears the seller. This Realtor® is the one who will not tell the seller that Spot and/or Fluffy have left a non-pleasant odor in the home that is deterring the potential home buyer from buying. No suggestion is given to the seller about the simple act of cleaning out Fibber McGee’s closet, making the home more inviting for those who are space conscious. The seller will most likely never hear that the skeleton-head wallpaper in the master bedroom could be a discouraging factor harming the potential sale. Most likely this fear manifested itself early on when the agent agreed to take the listing at a price 25% higher than the agent, and the data for the area, suggested. The fact is this agent is probably the one in the office stressing over having to hold the 15th open house in a row because, “The seller has requested it”, when the agent knows good and well that no amount of open houses are going to procure a buyer for a home that has a roof caving in, termites packing lunches due to no more solid wood to eat and grass so high a person is only guessing the route to the front door. A seller should want and seek the advice of their Realtor® and Realtor® s should be prepared to deliver this constructive helpful advice regardless of the content. In fact, this information ought to be a part of the marketing plan that the Realtor® has shared with the seller.
5. No
Sometimes a seller just needs to hear no. If the Realtor® does not feel like they can market the home under the terms and conditions desired by the seller, no should be what the seller hears. A seller who really wants to sell will ultimately understand and appreciate why an agent might walk away from a listing when it just does not make sense. Sellers really do not want agents who just take the listing to have their name on a sign or to gain office recognition. These agents are rarely in the business long. I would suggest that if more Sellers heard no and more Realtor® s just said no, the stress level of both Sellers and Realtor® s would diminish greatly. (sometimes, no will allow the seller to rethink their own ideas about how to sell their home and accept the professional suggestions of a person who works, every day, in the home buying and selling business)
Related Florida real estate views:
Watson Realty - Customer Testimonials
Is customer service improving as the market weakens?
- Greg Staker Watson Realty Corp. 407-304-0255
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