8 Signs You Are Working With The Wrong Real Estate Agent

Are you working with a Zero or a Hero for a real estate agent?  It's easy to figure out, but often times you figure it out too late in the process and that can cost you in many ways like paying too much for the house that you want, or accepting a lower than needed price for the home you are selling.  Best thing to do, work with a professional Realtor from the start and make sure you know the stats!  

8 Signs you are working with the wrong real estate agent:

1. Difficult Communication: 
   1. They don't return calls:  Sad that this is so common, but we routinely talk with potential buyers or potential sellers who complain that they've been calling and leaving voicemails for agents, and they just haven't received a return call.  Sad - but true!
   2. They don't return emails:  You should expect a return email within the same day unless you are emailing after hours.  We agents are bombarded with request and administrative tasks associated with real estate transactions, but there is no excuse for not returning our customers emails.
   3. They ignore text:  Surprising that this happens, but it does! 
   4. You Feel Abandoned:  Happens all the time.  
2. Late to appointments consistently:
   1. Late to Showing Appointments:  You schedule your time to see a new listing, you bust your tail to get there between working hours, and your agent isn't there yet.  This is painful and extremely irritating... but does it consistently happen?
   2. Late to the Listing Appointment:  You schedule time to meet with your chosen agent to list the home and they show up late... run away!
3. Non-Cancelable Listing Agreement:  Top fear of home sellers for the past couple decades is being locked in to a long term, non-cancelable contract with an underperforming Realtor!  What could be worse?
   1. Can't Cancel:  Some listing agreements are set for a predetermined period of time and they aren't cancelable.  
   2. Cancel but with a fee:  Many local Realtors will charge a hefty cancelation fee if you decide to cancel the listing.  (We offer an Easy Exit Listing, cancel any time, no penalties!)
4. No Recommendations to get the home sold!  
   1. It's listed and no offers:  Your home sits, listed, but no offers.  Why is this happening, what can be done to get it sold?  You need professional advise, but your listing agent isn't bringing you any advise.  Might be time to move on!
   2. You are listing the home and the Realtor gives no advise on presentation:  PRESENTATION IS EVERYTHING or as Agassi said in the 90's: "Image is Everything".  If you aren't getting direction as to what will help to position the home in it's best light, chances are you've got an inexperienced agent and you could be setting yourself up to lose a lot of money.
5. You suspect they are part time or low on experience:  I'd prefer to go to a skilled doctor, dentist, accountant, and financial advisor - that's me - I want someone who has the experience to help.  If you think for one second that this isn't equally as important with your Realtor, then you might as well go ahead and flush some Grover Cleveland's down the drain ($1000 dollar bills).  And worse yet - make a bad decision when buying, and you could pay the price again when you go to sell.
   1. Part Timers:  There are a few exceptions, but most part timers just don't have the day to day knowledge base to pull from to help you in your transaction.
   2. Low on Experience:  Again, a few exceptions, but a lack of experience can leave you paying more, receiving less when selling, missing out on a house you wanted, or worse - buying the wrong house. 
6. No Daily New Listing Alerts:  Inventory is tight, and in some price points and locations of town, homes sell in days.  You'll never know the good ones unless you are receiving listing alerts.  
   1. Daily Alerts are required:   If the Realtor doesn't have the right tools available, you'll miss out and eventually grow frustrated.
   2. Calling to alert you doesn't work:  In this day and age of high speed technology, our customers appreciate the immediate notifications of new listings vs. waiting on a Realtor to call and tell you about a home.
7. Sub par Negotiating Skills:  Negotiation isn't about drawing a line in the sand and refusing to work with the other side, skilled negotiators will bring the two sides together.
   1. They tell everyone you are negotiable on your list price:  Not the way to build value on your home!
   2. They push you to accept a low ball offer:  Self explanatory here.  
8. Low Tech Skills:  With so much information at our fingertips, it's hard to work with an agent that just doesn't have the right tools or correct way to communicate.  Did we mention we update our entire website with the latest listing information every 15 minutes? Search homes.
   1. No Texting agents:  Some agents just don't want to communicate via text.
   2. Low tech tools:  Does there website look like it's from 2002?  Maybe they don't have a website at all?  All their marketing materials are old school design and looks like they were the ones who designed it in Word... 
   3. No Social Media exposure:  You want to list your home with a Realtor who will use Modern Day Marketing and that means Social Media!  If your agent has no Social Media exposure, neither will your home!

Want to avoid these pitfalls or maybe you want to work with a professional Realtor?  Just reach out and we'd be happy to help!  Contact the Brad Officer Realtor Group.