Thanks, everyone, for your responses. We are in the process of switching realtors. As requested below, here is the MLS Number: 738743. The descriptions aren't correct and there could be better pictures. For example, the house is listed as a farm house. This is most certainly not a farm house and was never part of a farmstead.

I believe you have voiced your concerns to the agency in attempts to have the realtor improve on his/her services. This is the proper approach. If you feel you are still not getting the proper service, ask the agency for a termination of listing. To find a new agency, research some sold properties in your area. If possible, ask the sellers for recommendations on a good agent/agency. If having any trouble with this, I'll be happy to refer you to someone reputable!

Can you direct us to your listing? Maybe we could have a few suggestions that might help?
In the end price and being on the MLS are the two most important things done when marketing a house.

Hi Kristen,

It sounds like you have a communication issue with your agent. In order to determine whether you can terminate your listing agreement "Standard Exclusive Listing Contract", you will need to read the actual document that you signed when you listed. On page 2 of that document, in the first paragraph, the time and length of the agreement will be spelled out. You'll see that there is a provision for the seller to terminate in x number of days. If that is not filled in, the legality is that you signed for a year.

I think there are lot of good agents in our market, and most would release you from the agreement if you were really unhappy / upset, regardless of the contract. You will have to wait until you are released from that agreement to list with someone else.

I am happy to answer any general questions you might have regarding the local market or other questions that you might have. Just contact me through my info.

Mike Ross
Keller Williams Real Estate Professionals
190 Gallery Dr.
McMurray, PA 15317
mike_ross@kw.com

Kristen
Sorry to hear about your situation.
I recommend the follow actions be taken.
Ask for a meeting with your Realtor. Ask her to bring the following information:
Since your home hit the market, homes similar to yours, how many homes:
1. Came on the market
2. Lowered their price
3. Entered escrow (pending)
4. Sold
5. Expired

Ask her to show your the homes that are your direct competitors. Ask her to print out the MLS Client Detail report. Ask her to analyze the properties and compare them to yours. Look at the days on market, the price per square foot, and the list price.

In a declining market only the best homes sell. When you hired her you hired her to sell your home. Statistics show consistently that homes that sell in the first 30 days sell at closest to asking price. So buyers and their agents are looking for VALUE. The best values always sell first.

So go look at the top five or six homes that are competing with your home. Go out on a Sunday open house and compare them with yours.
Preparation for sale...painting, cleaning, decluttering
Staging
Qualify of photos,
Virtual Tour?

Then simply ask your agent what will it take for you to sell my home. Listen to her. Tell her "I hired you to sell my home. Other homes are selling, so mine should sell too. If you are unable to sell my home, then I am going to need to find an agent that can."

Listen to what she says. Note: If she has been asking for price reductions and you have been saying "no", then maybe you do need to talk with her broker. I always ask my sellers "do you want market value for your home? " and I listen to their answer. What you paid, how much you owe, how much you need to net..none of that matters to buyers.

good luck.

Have you asked your agent if you could take your own pictures and have her put them in MLS? I always let my sellers take pictures if they like. Sometimes they can get a better picture of the home due to the time of day that I am there. Also Have you asked to write your own description. You are working as a team to sell your home. It is not pleasant when thing get to this point. Are you still living in the home? You said you were not getting showing reports. Are you getting showings on the home? When you listed with the agent did she tell you how she would market the property? I alway let my sellers know how many homes have sold in the area. That way we can tell if there are buyers out there even looking in that price range. Times are hard right now and yes we have to work hard to get our listings shown. Try to get an open conversation going with your agent. She might just feel bad that things are just not working out. Maybe go in when her manager is there and come up with a plan that will work. It is hard enough to sell your home and all the pain of keeping your home clean and ready to show. So try to work things out. I wish you luck.

Kristen:

You are not wrong: in the current market, REALTORS need to really hustle and MUST be good at their craft to succeed (sell your home).

Unfortunately, not every REALTOR has the same level of expertise, professionalism or understanding of effective marketing. I agree with comments below: you can always ask to be released from your listing agreement if you feel that the intent of the contract is not being upheld by the REALTOR you have hired to sell your home.

Having said that, let me throw another angle in here. We claim to have the best marketing plan in our area, and take great pride in our professionally taken pictures, internet marketing and so on. We sell a lot of homes every year using these tools. Hang with me – I’m not blowing my own horn here – I’m making the point. Even with all of our technology and expertise, there are some homes we cannot sell.

The primary reason is price. If your home is properly prepared, thoroughly marketed and properly priced it should sell more quickly than the market average. If not selling, look at the three areas I just mentioned to see where you can make any improvements. If your home is not well priced in the current market, no amount of advertising – good or bad – will get you a sale.

You might need another REALTOR. You might also need to stage your home, lower your price … you get the idea.

Here are a few posts that may be helpful:

http://www.trulia.com/blog/carl_medford/2008/11/price_it_rig…

http://www.trulia.com/blog/carl_medford/2008/11/price_it_rig…

http://www.trulia.com/blog/carl_medford/2008/12/when_does_a_…

http://www.trulia.com/blog/carl_medford/2008/12/what_realtor…

If you're unhappy with your current Realtor, and it sounds as though you are, your first move should be a call to her managing broker.

Have your complaints organized, documented, and relate them calmly and clearly, and ask what she can do to remedy the situation. She should be able to reassign you to a different agent, or if you find staying in the same office untenable, ask to be released from your contract with them.

Whatever you do, make sure you set some goals and guidelines and you should be able to expect the Realtor's office to live up to them.

Kristen,

It really is too bad your home has not sold. It's very difficult being a seller wanting to sell your home with no results. Believe it or not your agent wants to please you more than you can understand and only gets paid if and when she sells your home. Until then she spends personal money on advertising and promotions on behalf of you and your property, hoping to please you by finding a buyer.

If you are unhappy, ask to be released from your listing agreement. It might be the best thing that could happen for both the agent and you.

Dear Kristen,

There's not enough room here to describe what Real Estate agents actually do. But I can try to address the other part of your question.

Most Realtors would be reluctant to say this (as I am), but this sounds like a pretty serious situation. Typically each state has a response time by which if a Realtor, Broker or Managing Broker from a real estate firm has not responded to you then you can "escalate" your complaint to the next highest governing authority. For most cases in Illinois it is 72 hours. In your case if the Managing Broker is not responding to you, make sure that you have a record of your last attempt to contact them. I'd suggest either a certified letter or another piece of correspondence requiring a signature to be delivered.

Call your local or state Realtor Association. If you can not figure out who that is, then contact a different real estate brokerage and ask them if they can give you the contact information for the local or state Realtor Association. You could even contact the National Association of Realtors who can probably track down the local or state association departments that you should be talking to. The local or state Association can censure/punish the agent and/or their real estate firm.

Additionally you can contact your local, or state political representatives and ask them what state agency licenses Real Estate Agents. The state agency that licenses Real Estate Agents has the ability to severely punish the agents or the agency in question- to the point of disallowing the agent or firm in question from brokering Real Estate now or in the future.

Good luck to you. If you're having trouble locating whom to escalate your complaint to, then feel free to contact me directly and I can probably track down the information for you.

Sincerely,
Christopher Thomas
Broker Associate, Sudler Sotheby's International Realty
773-418-0640 (cell)
christopher.thomas@sothebysrealty.com

You can request your listing broker and agent cancel your listing . Review listing agreement regarding terms and conditions cancel. Most agents/brokers are willing terminate the agreement.

Keep in mind over past 6 months home sales are on decline due to lending. Interest rates are lower.

Months from Sept. - March are slow sales for families searching. We take most of our listing off market during that time period if house did not sale during busy season.