Annie
I would sit down with your listing agent and go over your concerns. It is not too late to have your agent tell you what commuication you can expect from him and how often. If this is not adequate, in your opionion, share your thoughts with him. I'm sure your listing agent wants you to be informed and happy with a communication system that works for both of you. I update my sellers weekly but also sit down once a month if the property has not sold/has little activity. You are absolutely correct that we nor you can control economic conditions but what you can do is make sure the property is in tip-top condition and priced agreesively. If you have not had your home showcased it is not too late to give your home a face-lift.
I also think professional photographs are very important and you may want to consider having a building inspection done. The buyers will most likely still do their own inspection but it will prevent any surprises after an offer and show buyers how motivated you are. Best of luck.
Mary

Hi Annie,

To add to Edith's comments, I can tell you that even within Kirkland their are mini "climates" within neighborhoods that dictate how long it may take to sell. Not surprisingly, I have had a home in West of Market sit for 9 months this year before selling whereas a home in South Rose Hill recently just sold in 15 days. Inventory, price, marketing, the home itself, the economy, reputable representation - it all comes into play.

As far as the amount of communication...perhaps the expectation wasn't set by the agent at the time of listing. This would be a great opportinty for you to reconnect with them and set up that expection. I would much prefer a client let me know if they are not hearing enough from me than to stew on it! :) I ask clients at an initial meeting how often they prefer being updated AND how (phone, email, ect..). Every client prefers something different. And then every Friday they get updated whether they ask for it or not.

Also, was there a set marketing plan that was agreed to upon listing the home? In otherwords do you know up front how many open houses they'll do, when you can expect the home to be serviced with flyers/online, ect..?, Maybe that agreement also includes what they won't do depending on if you have a full service listing or not. I think that's always a great way to avoid any issues and questions. If you have that, you'll know exactly what to expect.

And hopefully with Google moving in, that will help our area! Hope this helps,
Jennifer Nilssen
TEC Real Estate

Hi Annie,
In this economy, many if not all markets are slow.... that being said, slow could mean 6 months of inventory or 12 months of inventory or more... So ask your agent what the inventory situation is, that way you will feel a bit better and have a better feel for how long it may take. If in your immediate and surrounding area in the last 6 months 2 similarly priced and sized properties have sold and there are 6 similar properties on the market competing with yours, then you know that there is 3 x 6 = 18 months of inventory, and nobody can tell really whether your property will sell during the first 6 months or the last, a well prepared and well updated property and priced very competitively gives you better odds, Above is just an example, so ask your agent. And if you do not hear from your agent, send him an e-mail or give him a call, or just ask him to contact you via phone or e-mail once a week to give you an update, and if there is nothing to report to just call you anyway.

Good luck to you...
Edith Karoline YourRealtor4lIFE!
WORKING ALWAYS IN THE VERY BEST INTEREST OF HER CLIENTS..
EdithSellsHomes@gmail.com

PS if you know of anyone who is thinking about moving to Chicago Illinois or thinking about buying or selling real estate in Chicago, or anywhere in Northern Illinois send them my way and they will receive first class real estate services, I promise. THKS!

A listing agents role is to market your house and get buyers and their agents through the house. Once an offer is given it is their job to negotiate and advise you regarding that offer. There's a lot more involved, but that's the jist of it.

In this market, a month is not very long, especially with Labor Day being in that time frame. The economy and market conditions in your area play a large factor as well. What you want to make sure your agent is doing is marketing you home and getting as much exposure as possible. This is mainly done through the internet with all the real estate websites that are available.

The fact that you have had very little contact with him may be because there just isn't anything to report. However, the agent could call or at least touch base even if there is nothing to report.

If you feel that your agent is not doing enough for you, talk to them about it. Let them know exactly what it is you expect from them. Tell them you want e-mails or weekly reports or a phone call every so often whatever it is, just let them know so they know what you expect. Hope this helps

I think you probably mean listing agent. The selling agent is the agent that would typically represent the buyer that makes an offer on your property, although if the buyer is not represented by an agent, the listing agent could also be the selling agent (even though they probably wouldn't represent the buyer). So you have the listing agent who represents the seller, possibly a buyer's agent, but when you have an accepted offer you always have a selling agent, who could be either the listing agent or the buyer's agent.

Assuming you mean listing agent, the listing agent should be giving you feedback as often as you desire. You need to communicate that to them, however. That contact should at a minimum include information on how many "hits" your listing has had, as well as how many viewings. I won't say however that there is a certain frequency that the agent should contact you. Sometimes too frequent of contact is a bad thing. It's really up to you.