Facebook
X
Pinterest
Copy Link
Carol Culkin, whom I had the pleasure of meeting in person recently, wrote a very thoughtful post on listing agent-accompanied showings that prompted me to finish and revise a draft I had. We work the same market, and my thoughts are for Westchester County, New York and the Hudson Valley. Your results may vary.
The idea of having the listing agent present in my view is the fallacy that the harder the listing agent “tries” in some cases, the more likely the house is to sell. The root of that fallacy is that some people think we pocket the whole commission while not really working too hard for it. We talk a little, take some photos, wait, someone else brings an offer, we take our cut. Voila.
Therefore, these sellers want the agent to be on showings, jumping up and down “selling” the house to the buyers; pimping the 3 year old furnace, the landscaping, the radiant heat under the sun room floor (look Mom, no baseboards!) and so forth. These people do not understand how to sell. They do not understand what motivates buyers in this economy to make buying decisions. And it isn’t because we “try hard.”
- People don’t buy the house because the listing agent was informative. They buy it because it feels like home.
- People don’t buy a home because the listing agent tried harder. They buy it because it feels like home.
- People don’t buy a home because the listing agent was able to pounce on their questions and give rapid, granular answers. They buy it because it feels like home.
