Sep
13
You Get What You Pay For In a real estate agent
Posted by realtorrandy under For Sellers, General Information
There is an old saying that you get what you pay for. I know everyone is looking for a bargain, but is it always a bargain?
Last night I had a client inquire about a property. I tried to find in our local multi list system, could not find it. Ok, I thought maybe a new listing. She gave the address, I will drive to the location to get the information.
I drive to the home, and it is listed with a well known national discount brokerage. I write down the phone number of the company and the website.
Returning to the office, I go to the website to look up information on the home. The website will not give me any information without registering for the site. Not even an instant registration, you need to send them an email with an inquiry as to what you are looking for.ent
So I call the office. A nice woman answers the phone, could not tell me anything about the property, not even the price. Said she knew of the property. I asked why it wasn’t in the mls yet, her answer was it is new, just came in last week. She gave me the listing agents contact information.
I talked to the listing agent, asked her about the special financing advertised on the yard sign, She goes on to tell me there really isn’t any special financing, unless you are a first time homebuyer. (Didn’t follow this any further but really hope she knows the tax credit has expired) I ask about the price, it is only overpriced by about $50,000.
I ask her more questions, she can not answer. I ask what the buyer side comission is, she says she doesn’t know, she only has the listing a week. She will talk to her seller and call me back. Really.
Now several things about this about this whole situation make me cringe.
1) This seller is getting absolutely no internet exposure for her home. More than 85% of buyers find the home they will buy online.
2) Unethical advertising. Advertising special financing that does not exist.
3) The listing agent has the listing for a week and still hasn’t found the time to get the home in the local Multi list system. The place where Realtors go to search for homes for their clients. If I were to sell my home, I would want the people that sell homes for a listing to be able to find it.
4) This agent, did not share or consult that the sellers home suffers from a terminal disease, called your home is not going to sell. I found a bigger home with more features for 50,000 less. What kind of service is that? I believe my job as a Realtor is to get your home sold, not to have it sit on the market costing the seller money and having to put their plans of moving on hold.
5) If you call my office about a home listed for sale, there is someone there that can answer 99% of your questions, at the very least, they can tell you how much the asking price for the home is. You never know who is a serious ready willing and able buyer. You better know your Realtor and/or their office is prepared to get the job done.
The bottom line is, buying and/or selling a home is probably the biggest financial decision you face in your life. Would you hire a discount doctor if you needed brain surgery? Don’t risk your biggest investment with a discount broker.
You do get what you pay for, especially in the real estate world.
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