Signs That It May Be Time For a New Agent
March 11th, 2009 categories: For Sellers
I talk to people interested in selling their Honolulu home or condominium almost everyday. Some of those sellers were formerly listed with another real estate firm and it is amazing to hear how poorly they were treated. From these conversations, I have determined that there are a number of signs that you might have the wrong agent. If any of these apply to you, then you may want to interview a new company.
1. You have not heard from your agent in the last 30 days. In my opinion an agent representing you should give you updates on interest and activity every few weeks, even if nothing is going on! If the market is incrementally declining in value, then an agent should make every effort to get a property sold sooner rather than later. Sitting on the market for an extended period can cost a seller thousand of dollars in lost value. By not communicating market trends and interest, your agent could be costing your lots of money.
2. You have to call your agent. I make every effort to make contact with clients before they call me. I am not perfect and sometimes my clients beat me to the punch. If you are the one always initiating dialogue with your agent this could be evidence of the following.
a. Your agent is not paying attention to you.
b. There is little or no interest in your property.
c. It may be time for a price reduction.
d. Your agent in not as professional as you first thought.
No matter the reason, if your agent is not providing the level of communication you desire then this could be a bad sign.
3. Your agent does not believe you need to reduce your price. If your home is not selling and your agent is giving you proper market exposure, then your home is over-priced! It’s that simple! If this is the case, as much as you may not want to hear it, a professional experienced agent should be discussing the necessity of reducing your price. If the market is dropping on a monthly basis, until it changes to favor sellers, getting real estate sold sooner will put more money in your pocket. Beware if your listing is not receiving showings or offers and your current does not believe the price needs reducing. A good agent should be posing a plan to reduce the price.
4. Your agent is disrespectful. This is a tough one. As the seller, you are the boss. It is your home and an agent owes you their honest perspective and opinion on current market conditions and pricing. At all times your representative should be respectful and professional. Many sellers complain to me that their former agent would speak to them in a condescending or bullying manner. There are too many really good brokers in the market for you to put up with someone that does not understand their role as your advisor. Their job is to make sure you are aware of all of your options, but ultimately the decision is yours and they should stand by whatever you decide. If you make a decision in which cannot agree, then they should resign from the listing and let you hire a person that is more in tune with your wishes.
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If you would like to discuss your real estate needs, feel free to call me at 808-737-2093 or toll free at 877-737-2093. You can email me at keahi@lava.net.
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All very good points. I hope that it helps out other agents with what they may need to change in how they work with their clients.