Using other listings for leverage
One of our listings was used as leverage by another agent. I know we all have our techniques for selling real estate, but do you push your own listings to buyer customers by showing them other listings in worse condition?
The agent made an appointment to show a house we have listed that is in poor condition and does not show well at all. The sellers have refused to clean up or make it presentable and I have not even been able to take descent photos of the place. The agent showed his listing to his customers first and then went to ours. While showing the house, he kept referring to the other property, “If you add this room it could look like this but in better condition, if you open up this wall, it could have this feel but for less money”.
I know selling real estate is about comparing properties, but to do it openly in front of the seller and to make it obvious that he was not showing this property to actually sell it, but to sell his own was a bit out of line. I think a couple of lessons can be learned from this: Please wait until you leave the property to have those discussions, unless you want to burn bridges with fellow colleagues; and make sure you make your home presentable if you are selling.
Benn made a comment that I really appreciate on a post that describes this same property ( Why isn’t your Miami home selling?).
“This home says to me – Chaos. I hope your sellers listen, I wouldn’t even take a listing that looked like this. There’s no showroom shine about it.”
Rick and I take disastrous looking listings all the time because I help our customers stage and give them very particular instructions on how to make those properties look better. When the sellers don’t cooperate, they are placed in a situation like this, where their property is used as leverage to sell others.
** original article on AgentGenius.com **