So, you go on a first date and you think everything was great and are looking forward to the second date before the first one has even ended. You have a nice hug at the end of the date and go home—and wait…waiting for the call. It never comes.
If you are a listing agent, you have probably had a similar feeling. Not because of a date, but because of a showing appointment.
Listing agents rely on the feedback from agents who show their properties to their clients to help inform their recommendations to the seller. Maybe the problem is bad staging, which could be fixed. Maybe it is the neighborhood, which can’t be easily changed. Maybe the home has a voodoo mural on the living room wall (I’ve seen it) that scared some buyers off.
Knowing what prospective buyers think helps the listing agent recommend improvements or a price reduction.
Perhaps the feedback is good, but your particular listing keeps being the runner-up to other homes. That, too, can help encourage the seller that they should hold out and not become too worried.
When I sold my first house, I lived by the comments that people made. Fortunately, most the negative comments were about things that couldn’t be changed or didn’t have anything to do with me or my house. There were lots of positive comments, and I ended up selling in two weeks.
Now, I know some of you will say that if the client doesn’t like the house, then they just don’t like it and shouldn’t have to provide an explanation. The fact that the client doesn’t make an offer is indication enough that there’s something that wasn’t the right fit for them.
This may very well be the case, but just like waiting for that call the next day, knowing WHY the client didn’t like the home can help enormously in trying to market it properly and make changes to make it more appealing to a broader audience.
Those 30 seconds to provide the feedback to the listing agent (and seller) helps promote a stronger housing market, which helps everyone.
