Give me a call. I only work West Volusia County. I will stop by and tell you what you need to do to sell when I look at the property. No pressure for a listing unless you want it. 368-212-5589 or email me at: pbailey@pnbailey.com

I have a very aggressive marketing plan.

I know this is an old post and most likely no one is monitoring it anymore but I can't resist. Some of the answers here complain that sellers always blame agents. It's true but who are they going to blame? And did the agent really do enough to sell the property? The agent must tell the owner what price the property will sell for in this market. Most properties that expire or do not have the activity or sell are overpriced. Some agents don't have the courage to sit down with their sellers and say this home is not priced to sell. If push comes to shove, do the agents list the over-priced home in these types of situations? Yes, just about all do. So the home will sit on the market.

The second point is the lack of aggressive advertising. Besides placing advertisements online what else do agents do who sell a lot of property? Forget the newspaper and any type of print media. I have found that a successful selling agent in on the phone most of the day looking to sell. They don't email you to death, they call you. Just my .02.

Location is important. Where is the home? Please send me the address, I'm a REALTOR in West Volusia, monikadepalo@adamscameron.com and let's evaluate and reposition your home. We can list for as many months as you like. We are the largest in Volusia county and have the most agents as well as a partnership with Bank of America.

Hope to hear from you soon.

I get reallty frustrated with people thinking that realtors simply "are not doing their job". Realtors are having to find a different source of income daily. Why....? Because people simply are not buying!

The market is finally showing some signs of change....website is getting around 700 hits per day, emails from potential customers have increased about 60% since Jan 1st, 2009, and my phone is ringing again.

Mostly investors though.

Realize that with all of the job losses people do not have the income to purchase. It will correct, but not real soon.

I just curious if you ever sold your house?

Thanks
Pam

Not all real estate agents are the same. Of that I can assure you. Let’s see if I can offer some help. I'm sorry you're not getting more showings but that is the reality right now. The media is crucifying us. My last 5 sales have only been of houses and condos that were priced well below the competition. Properties that are priced alongside the others, or even just slightly below the others are just not appealing to buyers right now. They only want what feels like a steal. I'm pretty familiar with the Deltona market since you're only 30 minutes from us and it's the same story.

In the Daytona area, we have 2.3 years of inventory in our MLS. To be more specific, we’re maintaining around 7,000 listings at all times, and only averaging around 235 sales per month. That’s 2.3 years of inventory.

As for what a REALTOR can offer, I would suggest you know what’s important to you, then interview REALTORS and ask plenty of questions before you list.

I can tell you what does NOT work and that is print advertising. Over 80% of buyers now start their searches online. Your REALTOR needs to have a personal web site that is search engine optimized. Also, blogging is now playing a huge part in attracting buyers. In addition to these strategies, there are a lot of free web sites where your REALTOR can place your listing. The idea is to make sure the average home buyer who is doing a random search in a particular area will be able to find your agents' site and/or your listing within the 1st couple of pages of a Google search. MSN is next in line for search engine popularity.

Last but not least, we have some major issues in Florida that are affecting us. The Save our Homes Act is in jeopardy and property taxes are through the roof. Then there's the insurance problem. And finally, many homes are not appraising, even if you do find a buyer who is willing to pay the asking price.

I know this is long but I hope the information helps. Just make sure your agent is internet savvy. Oh! And make sure there are plenty of really good photos in the MLS and on the web sites! That can include videos too. We've now moved beyond virtual tours to full blown videos. One of the biggest complaints I hear from buyers is that there weren’t enough photos, or there was no video, or that the photos were so poor that they couldn’t even tell what the house looked like. A thorough and accurate property description is also a necessity in all these areas. (Sorry about the length of this answer.)

I can't answer for your real estate agent that you have, but I can try to help you have a little more insight. No agent wants to sit on a listing--they make nothing if the property doesn't sell--there is no gain for an agent who doesn't sell the house. And, it costs an agent with ANY company money (out of their pocket) to list and advertise your home. In the market we are now in--strong "buyer" market, there is an overabundance of inventory, so "normal marketing rules" aren't working so well. When a person has a large number of properties to choose from, things like a "light fixture" or type of appliance can be a deal breaker--not your fault, but also not the fault of the agent. Agents don't sell houses, houses do!! If something is moving, it is generally price, price, price. The right price will bring the right buyer!! Agents market homes and guide you through the offer process, and works very hard to make sure that a good offer goes to closing. If your agent is having newspaper ads, website ads, company advertising, mls tour, open house, they are making an effort on your behalf--all at their own expense!! Talk to your realtor and find out what specifically they have done in the area of marketing--you might be surprised. If they haven't done internet and print advertising, open house, etc., get a new one.

Selling is a two-step process: first you advertise and that brings in potential buyers, and then you dance and that turns buyers into bidders.

A rough rule of thumb is that you should get one bid from every ten potential buyers that walks through the house.

But you aren't even getting enough people walking through the house!

That means 1) your agent isn't advertising enough or 2) your price is so high buyers are making other choices or 3) your agent isn't doing enough marketing (this is that weird stuff like sending out emails, contacting local businesses, etc., but sometimes it works.)

Your market may be dormant until the spring, but I might suggest giving the listing to a very young agent at a large real estate company. A newbie might hustle more for you, because they need to "make their bones" on the transaction.

You might find my book helpful too, the link is below.