There’s a lot of frustration in Sequim and Port Angeles for many sellers who have had their homes either listed with an agent, or for-sale-by-owner or FSBO. So, what’s going on?
Listed Properties. This week a gentleman told me that he was very frustrated with the agent that previously had his property listed for sale. Why? His agent had guaranteed a sale within 90 days. Whoops. Not a good idea. His agent also had no marketing plan, did not answer the client’s questions adequately, and has not had any showings or activity on the house. So far as this gentleman knows, his agent has not done anything to market the house. That is exactly what he told me. A second gentleman called to inform me that his listing expired and he wanted to list his home with me. He went on to tell me that his agent had only one showing in almost 5 months, has not talked to him or kept him informed during the listing period, and as far as he knows, there has been no marketing plan or other efforts by the agent to sell the home. That’s just this week. I am hearing these kinds of stories a lot lately.
FSBO Properties. I listed a home this week that was a FSBO for a period of months, but the house was not getting the exposure it needed. Running an ad in the local paper, putting up a For Sale by Owner sign, and putting up a Craigslist ad are simply not enough to effectively connect with qualified buyers. Someone could get lucky, but who wants to rely on luck to sell a home in this market? Many FSBO’s are frustrated because they are not getting prospective buyers coming to look at their homes, but they are not wanting to list with agents either.
Selling real estate, putting together a really good marketing plan, understanding sales and scripts, implementing a great Internet strategy, knowing how to use technology, having an outstanding CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system, being able to draft solid legal documents without ambiguities, negotiating with professionalism, and practicing good transaction coordination through to the closing, . . . these are not simple tasks that should be left to inexperienced or unprofessional people who just happen to have a real estate license. This is why sellers are frustrated, and some are angry. I can’t say I blame them.
So, how do you select your Realtor? Did you know that about 85% hire the first Realtor they talk to? Wow. What happened to due diligence? I strongly urge you to hire a Realtor who is knowledgeable, experienced, professional, and trustworthy. There are many out there, although those simple parameters do narrow the list a bit, don’t you think?
Last Updated on July 24, 2008 by Chuck Marunde
