Molly,
If you are in a listing contract your agent and you should have negotiated both the asking price and how the property was to be marketed within that listing agreement. To place a property in a MLS the local MLS requirements must be met. Generally most MLS Associations require properties to be entered by licensed real estate agencies that are association members and with a commitment as to what would be paid to the selling agency that supplies a successful buyer.
If you are not in agreement with your agent as to price and services I would start with the agent, then the broker of record as to clearing the disagreement up. If you can't reach agreement, ask to be released from your listing contract. Should both the agent and broker refuse to meet your service needs and refuse to release you, the local Realtor's Association or if necessary the State Real Estate Commission can be contacted for help. Good Luck, Tom.

Tue May 13 2008, 23:23

Molly
Your post is a little confusing.
If you have a signed listing agreement, call the BROKER (the Realtor's boss) and ask for some help.
Remember that what you paid, how much you invested, or how much you want, has NO bearing on the Fair Market Value of property.

Buyers want VALUE. The buyer who is knowledgeable, willing, and able to close escrow will determine the price. In most markets, well-priced and prepared homes, correctly marketed, will sell closest to asking price during the first 30 days of market time.

So keeping it on the market for a year will not get you your price. UNDERpricing it slighly will probably get you more attention and a bidding war that will probably max your price.

Good luck

Fri Apr 25 2008, 14:50

Molly, You have received some very good answers here. There should be no reason for an agent who is a REALTOR®, a member of the National Association of Realtors, not to post pictures on MLS. You may not like the price that your agent is suggesting you list your condo for if it is less than the $300,000 price you want. An appraisal is a great idea. Buyers recognize quality and are willing to pay appraised market value for something spectacular but prefer to pay less and won't pay more in this market. What are the prices of the other condos that are for sale in your building? If you are higher, the other agents will use it against you to sell the other units, showcasing what "can be done with the money saved on the purchase price for the other units." In this, or any market, you really shouldn't list your home until you are ready to move. The longer a home is on the market, the lower the price a buyer is willing to pay. When you are ready to move, ask the agent you liked if they are an Accredited Home Staging Specialist. Staged homes sell faster. I recently received this accreditation and when I applied the principles to a home that had been on the market for 15 months, we got an accepted offer within four days of showing it after the staging. It really works.

Fri Apr 25 2008, 10:59

Molly, I agree with Marie. If you really would be ok if your condo sits on the market for a year then you will have to pay a marketing fee upfront to an agent that is going to actively market it and showcase it because we do incur alot of out of pocket costs before the home closes(if it ever closes). In this market the last thing any of us as agents want is a listing that is destined for failure. Many markets are still declining so you need to consider how much your condo might be worth a year from now-5,10,15% less? Nobody knows. I would suggest getting an appraisal to see how realistic your asking price of $300k really is. The appraiser will take into account the value of all the upgrades you have done and will be more in depth than the usual comparitive market analysis(CMA) that we as agents do. Hopefully you have not "over improved " your condo for the location. In your case, the appraisal in my opinion would be money well spent because either you have proof of the value you perceive OR you know it is currently worth less, in which case you need a cash buyer or someone willing to pay a larger down payment that loves the property so deeply that he/she doesn't care about paying more than market value(good luck with that) in a declining market. We are all emotionally attatched to our homes and it's hard to hear that they may not be worth what we think it should be worth right now but the sad fact of the matter is I talk to people everyday who bought in 2005-2006 whose homes have dropped in value as much as $100,000 already in that short time. It just is what it is. The reality is either take the hit now or take a bigger hit next year. We have alot more foreclosures to sell off that will force the market downward a bit more. But that's just my opinion-market values are not an exact science.

Fri Apr 25 2008, 08:55

Im not sure what area you are in,but in New York State only licensed real estate agents can get your listing on the MLS. You may want to try some of the other websites that bring in people to look at properties as well, such ashttp:// www.craigslist.com or trulia.com, zillow.com. If your property is on water you can try lakehouse.com. There are many other websties that people search on, some free and som you pay for. i hope this helps.

Fri Apr 25 2008, 05:05

Your question is not clear, you say your agent is not working with you. Are you listed with a brokerage? I don't see any reason your realtor would not put your photos in the mls. Or... are you asking if you can list your property yourself in the mls? If that is the question I am not certain there are any mls that allow private sellers access to the database. The other confusing part of your question is you say you don't care if it stays on the market a year but then you say time is wasting so are you in a hurry to sell? You may be able to find an agent to list it at your price if you offer to pay for all the upfront costs for advertising and marketing and then have your agent credit it back to you at closing if it sells. That would be a fair solution.

Thu Apr 24 2008, 14:37

Molly,
you need to pressure your agent to get the pictures loaded for your condo. Especially in this market, agents need to utilize everything they can to sell the property. 3 years ago, a house would come out on the market and it would have multiple offers the same evening. Today, you need to provide as much exposure as possible. Pictures tell the whole story.

I think listings without pictures are a waiste of space on MLS server. You can describe it all you want, but if I can't see it, I'm not interested.

Talk to your agent. If you're not happy with him/her, go with someone else. Someone who will follow a solid marketing plan.

Hope this helps.

Thu Apr 24 2008, 12:50