Home Sellers and Realtor Communication

[orangeblossom]

If you're in the process of selling your house, how often are you communicating with your realtor? Weekly? Monthly?

[AAM2012]

Our home sold quick so we didn't get many (any?) updates. In regards to showing I used a realtor app which was really convenient. If you want more or less contact I would let your agent know.

[boiler717]

Several times a week -- after every showing an email and then touching base every week or so.

[goaskalice]

It's dependent on what my clients want. I always do a weekly check in, even if there isn't any big news to share, and a follow up after each showing. However some people like more or less communication so I usually defer to their preference.

[orangeblossom]

Yeah, I'd say ours is barely once/month, although I'm fairly certain during our initial meeting, she said she'd be in contact weekly. I haven't been impressed with her for other reasons, so I haven't been pushing it, but am going to have to communicate with her more, as the listing will be over in two months, and want to see, what, if anything, she plans to do differently.

She'd mentioned doing an agent lunch or something, but hasn't followed through.

ETA: I made a mistake and said she'd be contact monthly.  She said weekly in our meeting.

[Ashley&Scott]

I just helped my dad sell his home, I was the contact person. We emailed weekly, if there was an offer or showing then we spoke more often. His home was on the market for 9 months. 

[AAM2012]

Sept 18, 2014 8:47:25 GMT -5 orangeblossom said:

Yeah, I'd say ours is barely once/month, although I'm fairly certain during our initial meeting, she said she'd be in contact monthly. I haven't been impressed with her for other reasons, so I haven't been pushing it, but am going to have to communicate with her more, as the listing will be over in two months, and want to see, what, if anything, she plans to do differently.

She'd mentioned doing an agent lunch or something, but hasn't followed through.

Are people coming to look at your home? I'd imagine if it's slow then there isn't much of an update to be given.

Are you getting feedback when they do come and look at the house? I know my agent said that a lot of agents tent not to provide feedback because they're busy but she'll continue to email or text them. She says she gets more responses via text.

I would send an email or call and say it's been two months and you haven't heard much. You need an update and you need it every week, two weeks whatever you want. Also, if nobody is coming to your  home for viewings it may be time to tell him/her that we need to change our game plan and what are her suggestions to increase activity.

[orangeblossom]

Sept 18, 2014 8:53:01 GMT -5 AAM2012 said:

Sept 18, 2014 8:47:25 GMT -5 orangeblossom said:

Yeah, I'd say ours is barely once/month, although I'm fairly certain during our initial meeting, she said she'd be in contact monthly. I haven't been impressed with her for other reasons, so I haven't been pushing it, but am going to have to communicate with her more, as the listing will be over in two months, and want to see, what, if anything, she plans to do differently.

She'd mentioned doing an agent lunch or something, but hasn't followed through.

Are people coming to look at your home? I'd imagine if it's slow then there isn't much of an update to be given.

Are you getting feedback when they do come and look at the house? I know my agent said that a lot of agents tent not to provide feedback because they're busy but she'll continue to email or text them. She says she gets more responses via text.

I would send an email or call and say it's been two months and you haven't heard much. You need an update and you need it every week, two weeks whatever you want. Also, if nobody is coming to your  home for viewings it may be time to tell him/her that we need to change our game plan and what are her suggestions to increase activity.

A few people have come.  People actually call me to come and not her, so she's actually kind of calling me for updates, of which there are few.  That's fine.

However, like you said, it's time to change the game plan and come up with next steps, and I don't feel that I should be the one always driving the conversation.

I'm just frustrated with her and selling in general, and am ready for the contract to be over, whether sold or not.

[thatgirl2478]

many times a week - but we were out of town and she kept stopping by the house to check on stuff.  Plus we had a lot of showings, so we'd follow up after each one.

[thatgirl2478]

Sept 18, 2014 9:05:12 GMT -5 Catlawdy said:

We got an email each time someone saw the house. It was more of an alert thing, and we could go check a website for feedback. We also got the email alert when showings were scheduled. Other than that, not much contact with the realtor but we also had no problems.

we were on this same system, but sometimes our followup emails weren't sent so we had to contact the realtor directly.

[asoctoberfalls]

Almost daily...but our house sold really quickly with showings nearly every day. Honestly, a lot of times it was me texting him for an update or to ask him to request the showing to be on the early side of their range. He would send me feedback as he got it and would call to let me know plans and next steps.

What you are describing would NOT be ok with me, but I'm on the nosy side so I recognize that I am a high maintenance client.

[orangeblossom]

Sept 18, 2014 9:05:12 GMT -5 Catlawdy said:

We got an email each time someone saw the house. It was more of an alert thing, and we could go check a website for feedback. We also got the email alert when showings were scheduled. Other than that, not much contact with the realtor but we also had no problems.

I would like that system. 

[lb2006]

I work for a real estate team and we're in contact with each client weekly - sometimes multiple times a week. Plus provide marketing reports weekly & monthly.

We use a showing service that calls the sellers directly to approve showings & we all receive notifications about it.

It sounds like she is not doing a very good job i am sorry.

[orangeblossom]

Sept 18, 2014 9:16:39 GMT -5 lb2006 said:

I work for a real estate team and we're in contact with each client weekly - sometimes multiple times a week. Plus provide marketing reports weekly & monthly.

We use a showing service that calls the sellers directly to approve showings & we all receive notifications about it.

It sounds like she is not doing a very good job i am sorry.

Thanks.  

I don't even feel like going into it, but she has been a huge disappointment.  She was a recommendation from one of DHs coworker, that used her for multiple sale and buys.  She seemed really enthusiastic and a great fit at first, but hasn't lived up to it.

A neighbor saw her sign, and was asking me how it was going, and was telling me, they thought she was getting ready to retire/slow down, so that may be it, but still money is money, and you have a job to do.

[AAM2012]

orangeblossom I would contact the area director for that company. You can call another branch and ask for their info. We had to do that for ours because of a communication and some other issues that we had and ever since we did that things turned around.

Sorry you're going through that..I know moving/selling a home is stressful enough as it is, even with a GREAT agent. ((hugs))

[ohyouknow]

I got a recommended realtor also and she was awful. I only heard from her twice, both times when I contacted her. Then guess how I found out our property wasn't on the market anymore? I searched for it online and it said expired listing. I contacted her and she said she should have contacted me but when it expired she just forgot about it.

[lb2006]

Sept 18, 2014 9:20:09 GMT -5 orangeblossom said:

Sept 18, 2014 9:16:39 GMT -5 lb2006 said:

I work for a real estate team and we're in contact with each client weekly - sometimes multiple times a week. Plus provide marketing reports weekly & monthly.

We use a showing service that calls the sellers directly to approve showings & we all receive notifications about it.

It sounds like she is not doing a very good job i am sorry.

Thanks.  

I don't even feel like going into it, but she has been a huge disappointment.  She was a recommendation from one of DHs coworker, that used her for multiple sale and buys.  She seemed really enthusiastic and a great fit at first, but hasn't lived up to it.

A neighbor saw her sign, and was asking me how it was going, and was telling me, they thought she was getting ready to retire/slow down, so that may be it, but still money is money, and you have a job to do.

Could you terminate your agreement?  If so, i think you have enough reason to do so.  

Slowing down is fine - but i think that means volume, not quality of work.  She needs to step it up.

[orangeblossom]

Sept 18, 2014 9:21:59 GMT -5 AAM2012 said:

orangeblossom I would contact the area director for that company. You can call another branch and ask for their info. We had to do that for ours because of a communication and some other issues that we had and ever since we did that things turned around.

Sorry you're going through that..I know moving/selling a home is stressful enough as it is, even with a GREAT agent. ((hugs))

Thanks.

[orangeblossom]

Sept 18, 2014 9:22:04 GMT -5 ohyouknow said:

I got a recommended realtor also and she was awful. I only heard from her twice, both times when I contacted her. Then guess how I found out our property wasn't on the market anymore? I searched for it online and it said expired listing. I contacted her and she said she should have contacted me but when it expired she just forgot about it.

Ooh, I'd be hot.  That's just ridiculous.

[orangeblossom]

Sept 18, 2014 9:24:39 GMT -5 lb2006 said:

Sept 18, 2014 9:20:09 GMT -5 orangeblossom said:

Thanks.  

I don't even feel like going into it, but she has been a huge disappointment.  She was a recommendation from one of DHs coworker, that used her for multiple sale and buys.  She seemed really enthusiastic and a great fit at first, but hasn't lived up to it.

A neighbor saw her sign, and was asking me how it was going, and was telling me, they thought she was getting ready to retire/slow down, so that may be it, but still money is money, and you have a job to do.

Could you terminate your agreement?  If so, i think you have enough reason to do so.  

Slowing down is fine - but i think that means volume, not quality of work.  She needs to step it up.

We probably could based on really egregious things, like, you know, no realtor coming our first open house.  DH and I have to sit down and discuss it more.  

It's a really slow market around here, so I'm not expecting miracles, but is she doing the best that she can, working with what we have, and I don't think she is.

[scout8]

It depends on how much activity we are getting. If there are a lot of showings, then I am emailing to schedule the showings and let them know how they went. In my market, we don't use lockboxes, so I can usually provide immediate feedbacks as I am present at the showing. Even if it is slow and we aren't getting much activity, I provide a weekly update with information on number of showings, stats from the MLS, status of competing listings, etc.

If you aren't happy with her, then definitely speak up. I would much rather have a client let me know that they are dissatisfied, so I can try to fix things first.