Vwforyou,

In a few distinct areas of the country, seller agent presence is common protocol. This is the exception, not the rule. In the rare geographic areas where seller agents often accompany showing appointments, buyers accept this as part of the local custom. In most areas, however, buyers are accustomed to being able to tour with their agent and most of these buyers do not welcome the seller agent.

Sure, I can find documented exceptions where a seller agent was welcome by a buyer, or was helpful. The odds, however, clearly point to a high chance of a negative result. My position is based upon collective comments of buyers, sellers, and agents. If it were more productive to sell properties with sellers agents present, that would get my vote. I know most buyers dislike it, hurry through their showings, and complain. I know that when the attempt at coordination of schedules between 2 agents and the buyer and the seller fails, the seller loses a showing. I know that if a competing property is easy to get into, that competing property will get the appointment.

I can find a story to support a great end result of a seller agent offering input that was helpful to a buyer. But, I can find 25 more instances where the result was negative. Which one gets my vote? The route that has the higher probability of getting more exposure for my seller, and highest price and best terms for a contract.

Lockboxes exist to facilitate more showings. I support electronic tracking lockboxes, but am cautious about combo locks. Properties without lockboxes, or those which are more difficult to schedule showings get less traffic.

There are exceptions to every rule......and when we have a listing that has extensive unusual features, we will suggest that a representative from the seller side be present. We have represented clients on properties priced less than 200K and more than 5M.

I have attended second showing appointments with buyer agents and their buyers, at my suggestion or theirs. I have also taken the buyer agent alone before a showing (1st or 2nd) to show them features of a property that I have listed. I have requested a seller agent meet us at a property when a buyer has extensive questions or deep interest. As a seller agent, I have taken another agent’s client to see a listing of mine when the buyer agent could not attend. As a matter of fact, I did that yesterday. After the showing, I phoned the buyer agent and confirmed her buyers had toured. None of my suggestions are predicated upon my unwillingness to show my listings. Nor are my comments based upon a lack of expectation of support from the seller side when I have the buyer.

I guide my clients based upon what will bring the best results for them. You can certainly hire the sellers agent who will abide by your terms. Chances are high that your "maverick" method will discourage showings, and thereby reduce your potential buyer pool. When you reduce your buyer pool, you reduce your chances for highest price and best terms on a contract for the sale of your property.

Deborah Madey - Broker
Peninsula Realty Group - New Jersey

Mon May 12 2008, 09:10

Love the responses, everyone seems to be on one side of the fence or another. Thanks for your passion and for the most part professionalism. My initial query was born out of an honest question. I have since come to the conclusion that a more proactive listing agent that does a much better job of actively assisting buyers and their accompanying agents is a good thing, when done appropriately and with the utmost sensitivity and professionalism. If a particular listing agent simply doesn't have the intelligence or the needed skills set to work in such a fashion then they need to stick with the current status quo; listing agent lists the property and the buyer's agent assists the buyer to buy the property.

I've been pretty specific as to the conduct expected should a listing agent choose to operate in what would appear to be a "maverick" style of doing business considering the industry standard.
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VW, you have done what many sellers do: listened to the one agent who told you what you wanted to hear, not the truth. It is not a "maverick" style of doing business to hang around at all showings. It is bad practice. I'm sure you read MY answer, where I explained that my customer bought a million dollar house his first day out and did not see one house I chose because the listing agent couldn't be there ALL WEEKEND and suggested he come back and see it NEXT weekend. Too late! If we all worked with one single seller and no buyers it would be possible to do as you like, but it isn't possible. As it is, there is no reason to stand there like a you know what on a bull and watch a group of people walk around trying to be polite and appear as if they liked the house.

Just FYI, the same couple who bought the house their first time out that I just spoke about.....the first house we saw, we not only got the listing agent, but the co listing agent. They both led my buyers around the house, opened every door, and pointed out everything in the house. My buyers spent a half hour in there answering questions and chatting witht the listing agent, who proceeded to tell them about his other listings that they might like (which I a;ready knew did not fit their needs). Afterwards we left, they flat out said they did not like the house, it was too big and there was no privacy. Did we really need to waste everyone's time in there. I told the listing agent, who is in my office, that in the future he is to NEVER be present when I show his listings and if he is he is not to speak to the people I am showing the house to.

Mon May 12 2008, 05:36

VW,

I was looking over this question again (after the Realtors were dissed for good answers) and I realize that we just had a situation like this locally, and here is what happened:

Realtor X was pushing the sale of their listing to Realtor Y and her client. Realtor X continued this hard push to sell even when Realtor Y was not present. This was deemed to be a violation by Realtor X who will now be fined $1500 for this violation.

When you overstep your bounds, the fines really suck!

Sun May 11 2008, 10:11

You can choose an agent who will do things the way you tell them, or you can listen to experience. Sometimes having all the answers yourself proves what you do not know. You have just proven that. You have 15 poeple tell you why it is better for your agent to be absent, and you compliment the yes woman who strokes you. Does this mean that you will also list with the agent who agrees with you on the price and advertising plan that you already know to be right?

Sat May 10 2008, 10:53

Hmm. Okay - if a listing agent gets an owner an offer - regardless of how they get it - and the seller accepts - the buyer and seller then go into contract and at closing - the seller gets paid and SELLS THEIR HOUSE. I am struggling to find the rationale for your question. When this occurs - the listing agent sold your home. As far as a listing agent showing up for every appointment - IF the agent who is bringing a buyer works on behalf of the seller - then there is no need for the listing agent to be present. IF the agent who brings the buyer works on behalf of the buyer - then by all means - the listing agent should be present at that showing.
And when you say the agent should be around to "specifically...sell the property" - I am having a hard time understanding this. Real Estate Agents have a bad wrap because they're called "Sales Associates" or something of this nature. That is inaccurate. I don't consider myself a "salesman" per se - I am a consultant - a professional. I provide my clients with current and comprehensive information so that they can make an educated decision about - how to price their home or what type of offer to make - or how to counter offer - or what c/o's are needed on a property - or where to get information - or for referrals to top professionals in the field, etc.
Part of being a Real Estate Agent is managing time, people, and properties, marketing - hence...a business. If you're a homeowner and you are a plumber for a living - you don't know anything about real estate per se - you're not a "salesman" of real estate - vise versa I'm not a plumber - I'm a Real Estate Agent - I "sell" real estate so if I go to fix my toilet - I'm going to call a plumber. Period.
Real Estate Agents do so many things (good ones anyway) BEHIND THE SCENES that people don't pay attention to. Getting people from offer to closing is a process in and of itself. That's when SELLING really occurs.
With cars - a salesman can say - "oh look at the leather interior" and that may actually have an impact on the person looking at it. With houses - a "salesman" can say - "oh look at the gorgeous molding" - that's NOT going to make the person looking say - "gee I should buy this 250,000 dollar home" - With real estate - it's about complete information and expertise about the market, the town, the street, the neighbors, taxes, exemptions, c/o's, title, appriasals, attorney's and much much more.
Hope this helps.

Fri May 9 2008, 16:53

One buyers agent had taken their prospects to 50 houses in a single day!
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Some buyers agents are weak. This buyers agent must have some time management capabilities. I don't know how it could be conceivably possible to see 50 homes in one day.

Fri May 9 2008, 14:07

VW,

I never use brochures! They are a complete waste of time.

Fri May 9 2008, 14:04

Don't understand the question. I have sold many houses. Listing agents don't always sell the house they list, but I have sold some of mine. My marketing is the reason the buyer agent contacts me. It is the listing agent's job to get feedback, it is part of marketing a house. As for selling on site....I'm not sure if you expect a hard sell in the home. It has been my experience that when a buyer sees a house and walks in, they know pretty much right then an there is the house is a possibility. No amount of pointing out benefits of this particular house, such as the tilt out windows or the brand new stove, is going to "make" them buy. Negotiations, as you point out, are also part of the lissting agent's job. As for being onsite....when I show a home, I would like the listing agent to not be there. Buyer's are freer with their questions and criticism when they aren't. Questions are also a wonderful way to touch base again with a buyer. All questions to not need to be answered at the house, and some listing agents tend to go on with unnecessary information, when really the buyer just wants to leave, holding up the appointments for rest of the day. As for listing agents being present at showings...I recently had a brand new buyer come out for the first time. We had selected 6 houses. For one house, the listing agent told me she had to be present at all showings, and that weekend was out of the question, she could not be present. My buyer came out and bought a house that day, his first day looking. This listing agent cost the seller a possible sale. This was a motivated buyer. It is not necessary for listing agents to be present.

Fri May 9 2008, 14:02

I got to admit that this is an excellent question.

With a smile, I have to ask, "what Buyer wants to be SOLD a house?"

If you want to alienate a potential home buyer... "sell" "sell" "sell"....

I have yet to utter the line, "What's it gonna take to get you in this house today?" and slap the clapboard siding.

I will admit that you are right, some agents are nothing more than a "glorified brochure builders" . But there are others that are "fact finders", presenting interesting information that could make a difference in the Buyer's home buying choice, and price offered.

I am sure many Sellers do not even know that they can ask an agent to be there for all showings. And I bet you there are just as many agents who will have a multitude of answers why they should not be there when a co-operating broker shows their listings.

I have represented Sellers to the fullest capacity. I was there at every showing ready with my facts, and other information I gathered to impress Buyers to respectfully consider the property.

I introduced myself, recited the highlights of the property, and then depending on how the Buyer's Agent wanted to proceed, I either waited patiently for them to finish their tour, or gave them all the grand tour myself...

...I usually took my cue from the Buyer's Agent. My goal is to sell the house, that means I want the buyers comfortable, not rushed, and not feel ganged up on by "real estate agents".

Only if necessary, and always respectfully, I pointed out things the Buyer's Agent might not have touched on, because there is a fine line between discussing the positives of a property (without stepping on the other agent's toes), and being too friendly. You don't want to come across as if you are "bonding" with the other agent's buyers.

...Little known fact, agents are possessive of their buyers,and their Sellers...

...You want to avoid any incident similar to "sticking two Tom Cats in a burlap sack."

Bottom line:

If a Seller feels more confident that the job will get done faster to their satisfaction with his/her real estate professional there, then that should be discussed at the listing presentation before the contract is signed.


RK Ruthman
Ruthman Real Estate
CT & NY Licensee
(203) 400-5355

Fri May 9 2008, 13:45

Yes, I do have strong feelings about listing agents being present for showings. I do believe there are exceptions. When there is a property that has an elaborate security system, is extremely large, or has many unique features, it can be helpful to have the listing agent present for an initial showing.

Listing agents do not always know the neighborhood; sometimes they do. Actually, buyer agents who work an area frequently have a strong handle on the details of a neighborhood. Listing agents will know the details of a property better than a buyer agent.

In the hundreds upon hundreds of homes I have shown, I can state that in the strong majority, very strong majority of experiences with a seller present or a seller’s agent present, the results of the showing suffered. When a buyer determines an interest level, a second showing of longer duration with a sellers agent can be very beneficial.

Buyers do not want to be sold a house, they want their buyer agent to help them make a decision about which property is best for them. The sellers agent does not know the buyers needs. Most buyers become uncomfortable about opening closets, exchanging dialog with their agent, and become annoyed if and when a seller agent starts telling them details about the property which are of no interest to them. A few buyers don’t mind; most do. Within the group of a few buyers that do not mind, sometimes I do. I mind when my buyer shares data that transfers negotiating leverage to the other side. I don’t like when my buyers shoot themselves in the foot. BTW, if I preview a home and a seller offers me info, knowing that I represent the buyer and not them, it can be advantageous the negotiations on behalf of my buyer.

Your comments about not having more info when you were a buyer are indicative of a weak point in the buyer agent. While touring a home, a good buyer agent will call attention to features of the home that a buyer has identified as a positive or negative. A good buyer agent will have gained an understanding of the buyer needs and discuss how various properties meet or fail to meet those needs. Some buyer tours take 3 minutes because a buyer already knows the house fails his/her needs and simply wants to leave. Other buyer tours can take 45 minutes. Either becomes uncomfortable with a seller agent. A quick exodus feels rude. A long stay feels burdensome.

If a pushy sellers agent follows buyers around nudging them about why they should buy this home today, chances are much greater that the result will be negative than positive.

My approach does support the buyer needs, because sales happen by meeting buyer and customer needs. As a home seller, you are trying to reach to buyer agents and buyers. Your best success as a seller comes from a consumer centric approach; meeting buyer expectations. A good lisitng agent will makret to attract the most buyers who might be interested in your property. Hire a lisitng agent for marketing understanding.

A new listing hit the market today, and in the agent notes, it reads: “Sorry, I have to come, too. Call me.”

Fri May 9 2008, 11:19

Hello Home Buyer. It sounds to me like you could use a dynamic buyers agent working for you. A buyers agent will be your advocate and help you not only through the transactional details of buying a home, but also help identify what it is you are looking for within a community (1) and then what you are looking for within a home(2). There are many places to find a good agent, first I would say is by referral of someone who has had a great experience with their agent. If you don't know anyone in the area, then going to open houses might be a good way to get a feel for who is out there and can help you.

I generally don't attend the showings on my listings, only becuase it seems to make most buyers more uncomfortable. However, I do have packets at the house about the neighborhood and community, I also have disclosures and utility information. I do volunteer to help the other agent with any needs they may have, but it's a tight line to walk between being proactive and not pushy.

I show my listings quite regularly because of my responsiveness and genuine interest in the people calling/emailing about my homes. Because of this I sell about 20% of my homes.

I don't know if that helps, but please feel free to continue dialogue with me. This should be an exciting process for you and if it's not, let's try to make it that way. I hope your search process improves.

Best regards.

Fri May 9 2008, 10:45

In Ohio, we have agreements to share the home information with all agents in our local MLS and in doing this we increase the chances for the home to be sold astronomically. In Columbus Ohio there are over 1 million people and it would be impossible for me to know every person looking for the home I am trying to sell. By sharing the information with other agents in our local MLS I am more likely to sell your home.

In the end, no one can make a person buy a home, my brochures are there to answer questions, my advertisements on the internet are there to sell the homes features, I can follow up promoting the home to the buyers agent, but in the end, the buyer makes the decision to purchase.

Thu May 8 2008, 20:57

It is easy to forget the old days of real estate before the MLS Book and now the Computer. Years ago the only way to sell a home was to create a meeting of the minds the old fashion way: list the house and go out and find a buyer. As a listing agent, is sell the seller, Price, Conditions, Staging, improvement and repairs, and a veriaty of other services. My goal is to represent the seller in every area of selling their home. As you know we have acknowledgable buyers that also want representation that is fair and ethical.

How do I know that I have done a good job selling a home? A buyer does not have to worry if the home is over prices, if the home is in good repair, if all the paper work is in order, if there any latent problems that has not been discussed. If I what the home sold as soon as possible, I sell it at the listing table. I ask the seller, "What would you be willing to pay for your home today?" Any answer above the current market, means the seller just bought their own home and it will set on the market for months.

The listing agent sells the sellers, The buyers agent sells the buyers, "What a business"

Thu May 8 2008, 20:37

Folks,

Representing buyers or sellers we spend a lot of money training on continued education required by law as well as new trends in real estate. We need to be ready to represent our clients in any situation whether it be with a seller, seller's agent, a bank or a Forsale by Owner.

There are still places (New England) where the seller's agent shows the listing to the potential buyer and their agent. It is odd because everyone is so careful about what they say.

As a buyer and seller agent I market seller's homes and I sell homes to buyers.

Someone mentioned the level of work involved in real estate and I couldn't agree more. What a surprise but I wouldn't give it up.

Thu May 8 2008, 18:41

Thanks so much for the input. The response regarding the varying workloads of a quality agent has been noted. While you all were informative Brenda hit the nail on the head and helped confirm what I thought. I suppose the selling is actually up to the many buyer's agents that have come through to tell the truth. It has been frustrating hearing the feedback from my listing agent regarding how many houses the buyer's agent actually took the buyer through that day or how the buyer's agents either haven't done a decent needs/wants evaluation or gained any control of the buyer (to use "sales" speak). One buyers agent had taken their prospects to 50 houses in a single day! Hopefully the tighter this market gets the more "part time" realtors/agents move on to a different career and leave the home "marketing" and "selling" to those who want to be experts in the RE field. As far as marketing our property; we are on realtor.com, in a couple of magazines, on the MLS. We are the lowest priced for the square footage, have shown the best based on feedback, but so far no offers due to out development not having any community amenties, level backyard, etc... it is always in the top 2 or 3 but no offers yet. We even dropped the price trying to be a bit more agressive (after already being priced well compared to similar properties in the area. I realize the market has a good amount of inventory and buyers are taking their time and we need to be a little patient. Just thought I'd vent a bit.

Thu May 8 2008, 16:47