Sellers – Is YOUR Agent a Liability?
No doubt you have spent a lot of time getting your home ready for sale.
- You interviewed several agents that have the qualifications and experience to sell your home, and made a decision
- You agreed on a price, showing instructions, signage and a lockbox, and signed a listing contract
- You depersonalized, spruced up the front yard and entrance
- You thought everything was ready to move ahead and get your home sold quickly
Time Out. Big problem.
Your agent could be a liability, and you may not even know it. Watch for these hints of sabotage to your sale. The problem is, you may not even be aware of some of these issues.
Consider that...
You did not receive a written marketing plan for YOUR home. Do you even know WHAT your agent, who is presumably looking out for your best interests, is planning to do to get your home sold?
Your agent does not return calls or emails promptly – how will you even know? If agents can’t get questions answered for their buyers, or can’t gain access through your agent, you have a big problem.
Your MLS listing is fraught with errors, typos, missing information, and limited or lousy photos – have you even seen the MLS listing that your agent created? You must! Buyers these days look on-line first and they want photos, lots of them. Buyers will often ignore listings with no photos, or those that do not show the home well.
There is limited on-line exposure. Given the number of buyers looking on-line, your home MUST be out there on multiple sites. You never know where a buyer may come from – do you want to risk missing the right buyer? Where IS your agent marketing your home and how does it look?
There is limited, or no, communication from your agent regarding responses to the listing and on-line marketing. Maybe there is not much happening, or maybe there is. Do you know?
The brochure box is often empty – OK a brochure box is not necessarily going to sell your home, but an empty box is inexcusable and sad looking. There are people who may drive by and want to grab a brochure. I would ask your agent for a supply so you can keep it filled in case s/he is not on the job. If you can’t keep it filled, don’t put one out there.
No doubt there are lots of great agents out there who will do a fabulous job and you won’t have to worry. Just make sure YOUR agent is not a liability. You have a lot riding on the sale of your home, and things that stand in the way of getting it sold need to be dealt with.
My advice?
1. Ask for a written marketing report so you know what your agent will be doing
2. Ask to see a copy of the MLS listing (not just a hard copy but a link from the Internet so you can see what other buyers will experience including photos)
3. Do a Google search once your listing is live to see what it shows up on the Internet
4. Ask lots of questions and expect specific answers
5. Agree on a follow-up and communication schedule - once a week? By email or phone?
**************************************
ALL ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA RELOCATION DUDE
If I can provide more information about Carlsbad homes and real estate for sale and surrounding areas, the housing market in general (or locally), or otherwise assist you, friends or family in a home search or sale, please contact my mobile office or text me at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JeffDowlerSolutions@gmail.com
Serving Carlsbad (including Aviara, La Costa & Carlsbad Village), Encinitas (including Leucadia & Olivenhain), Cardiff, Solana Beach, Del Mar, La Jolla, Rancho Santa Fe, San Marcos (including San Elijo Hills), Oceanside, Carmel Valley, Escondido, and San Diego
Carlsbad Breaking News ~ Oceanside Breaking News ~ Encinitas Breaking News
All content ©Copyright by Jeff Dowler. All rights reserved.
