Making fun of real estate agents

Happy Labor Day. Since real estate is my labor, I am taking the day off. Join me in a romp through the work of bozos in my business. For your entertainment, here are some favorite sites where my so-called peer’s so-called labor is displayed:bad photo

Bad MLS Photos

Hooked on Houses

Terrible Real Estate Agent

Lovely Listing

Got any others. Please share!

But, there is a dark side to this. Some poor seller is paying for those bozos to market the house. My experience says that sellers don’t seem to care enough to look at their MLS listings to see what their house looks like to the public. Once they sign the listing agreement, they check their brains in a locker and let the agent take over. If consumers interviewed and supervised their agents, bad agents would be a thing of the past. However, sloppy agents who continue to make a living will continue to be sloppy agents.

Here is a list of things I have seen go wrong with unsupervised listing agents:

fisheye.clutter1. Unappealing MLS sheets (pictures and descriptions.)
2. Invasive or sudden showings which disrupt the owner or tenant.
3. Poorly shown houses, which do not highlight the features of the house.
4. Poor security. Items stolen or broken during showings. Doors left unlocked. Cat let out.
5. Poor communication during negotiation.
6. Poor negotiation leading to a poor outcome.

Got anything to add to this list?

Because I don’t do the listing business, I have occasion to refer my clients to listing agents. Therefore, I have become a connoisseur of how to pick a good one. Some of my ability comes from doing business with them; in a negotiation, I generally know who is taking care of their client and who is “getting it done” to line their own pocket. For my clients, I choose the former.

Sellers often hire the person who calls them back first. That is a mistake. I recommend that you hear at least two listing presentations before deciding. Be clear about something: the listing presentation is a job interview. You, the consumer, are the prospective boss. Yet, most listing presentations are all talk from the agent end. You can change that, and you should.