Randy!
First and formost...communication is the Key! Sit down with your realtor and have a heart to heart! Is there a written marketing plan? Have each of you studied and followed the plan? Are you tweeking it to respond to the way the market is acting? The market is king...preparing to attract the most excited buyers is a team effort. Youir home needs to be spotless and as perfect as you can get it. All the make-up and all the pretty stuff needs to be done and ready...every showing. The buyer then chooses your home......or another that better suits their value propostion (Price, condition, location, need for extra work, etc). So what is the feedback on showings? What are the buyers' agents telling you about your home? Remember this simple formula....no matter what the buyers' agent tells you....if you are not getting offers....your asking price is too high. Even in todays tough market...homes are flying off the market...and I'm serious...flyiing off the market when buyers feel that they are buying a good value. Its their money...and they are going to maximize it!! Its a buyers best time to purchase!! (a time when prices are depressed, money is cheap). Buyers are in the KING in the negotiations.... and they know it. BTW, you are king on the next purchase of your next home!
Think about it...if there are 30-100 other competing homes out there for buyers to choose... you need to decide why they should choose you....What makes your home the ONE (out of all that inventory) they should choose? Until you answer that question the home you now own will continue to be yours and not someone elses. Play hardball, become the best choice. You are playing to win...to beat out all those other homes. whats it gonna take? Your choice, your money, your effort, your time.

Good Luck,

Steve Condurelis
Co-owner,
Keller Williams Nashville

Best of luck!

Agreed. All great answers here. In my experience multiple professional-quality photos in the MLS is the very best tool in today's marketing. Open houses, print ads and the like can also help, but all serious buyers look to the MLS or syndicated sites as their very first step.

Best of luck to you!

The other answers have provided great points. It is important to set clear expectations on the front end. It's also very important for your agent to market your property. What I haven't seen mentioned is the agent should make sure your home is as marketable as it can be.

I am actually going through this with a client right now. You may not want to hear this, but there may be things that are making your home less desirable to the competition. Have you had many showings? If so, the price is probably in the right range for the competition. However, if those showings are not leading to offers it can mean there are factors making your home less desirable. Talk to your agent about the feedback on the home. If she's not already, ask her to follow up with EVERY agent who shows the home. This can tell you exactly why your home isn't selling. It may be things you can't change like the lot. It may be things you can change easily like painting the home a neutral color. It can be things you can change with more effort (and money) like floorplan.

Talk to your agent about what your expectations are, and ask her to be candid if there are any issues with your home that have made it less desirable in relation to the comparable properties on the market.

If all this fails, maybe this isn't the right agent for you. She may be a great agent, but her style and your expectations may not be compatible. If you ever find yourself looking for another agent, interview a few before making your decision. Unless of course, the first one "clicks" with you and is prepared to meet all your expectations. Good luck.

Randy, You and your Realtor should be a team. When I have a listing the first thing I do is sit down with my client and let them know what we do as a team. You are entrusting the sale of your home to "me" and I go over the steps I do to make sure you get our house out to the public. That is how many sites you home will be put on, how I network with other Realtors with other companies (both by email flyers, personal contacts and broker open houses) and how to get in contact with me at all times. I also have your contact information on my computer and on my Blackberry so you are always "in front" of me. We sit down and figure out exactly what needs to be done with your home in order to get it on the market at the best market price - that is part of your team project. If there are repairs to be done or furniture or "stuff" removed we go over that option, too. If the house would make a great virtual tour I will do one. I do not do them on all my listings because some of them would not actually show very well in a virtual tour. I do make sure that all the pictures that are taken are displayed on all the websites and always add comments below the pictures to help the buyers see the amenities of your home. We go over the showing instructions to make sure we are in sync with how it will be handled. Our company has a 7 day appointment center to set up the showings so the other agents have an easy time of setting up thse appointments. Immediately after a showing is scheduled I am emailed so that I am aware of the time. I always call you to make sure everything is in order and whether or not you need me to go by and turn on the lights, etc. If there is some reason why you are not able to do the showing at that time I find out why and immediately call the other agent to see if we can reschedule. After the showing an email feedback form is sent to the showing agent. If that agent doesn't send it back within the next 24 hours I will call them, thank them for showing the home, and then ask for feedback as to why their clients didn't like or liked about the home, etc. or if they need more information about the property from me. I always make a brochure to leave at the house with pertinent information about the home, utilities, etc. but sometimes there are other items that we can discuss. With the $8,000 tax credit and a 100% financing plan I always make sure the other agent is aware of these items and see if they will fit with their clients. When we do get an offer on your home I make sure the agent includes a preapproval with the offer and then I will also check with their lender to make sure they can buy the home. We don't want your home taken off the market for any reason....I stay on top of the lender for the buyer to make sure we can proceed to closing.
When the showings are slow, mostly due to the economy, I am still in contact with you and let you know the market data for your neighborhood or subdivision and whether or not anything else has sold in that area, or new listings so that we can position your price in the right target range to get it sold. I deal with lots of "unique" properties that don't fit the guidelines for the neighborhoods but I always stay on top of what has sold that might compare.
It sounds like your agent might not be aware of your frustration. You need to sit down with her and go over the list of things that you are expecting from her. Give her the benefit of the doubt. If you meet with her and voice your displeasure and she doesn't change, you may give her broker a call. If your listing is getting close to expiring you might start thinking of other agents to interview and then also explain to her that you won't be renewing the listing with her. Sometimes that gives the extra push that might be needed to "power-up" the marketing, etc.
You live in a grat neighborhood for sales...that should be a desirable market for you and I'm surprised you aren't getting that many showings. The variables in the showing could be (1) price, (2) condition, (3) pictures on the mls to show your home to it's fullest advantage.
Good luck!

Randy,
There are a lot of great answers here, with the recurring theme being communication. Ideally you and your agent should level set expectations before you sign the listing agreement. When you agree on the terms, make sure they are defined times. Do you want weekly updates? Do you want them in writing or would you prefer to have the agent call with the report? What day is best for you? What do you consider an acceptable timeframe for a call to be returned?

Each detail needs to be discussed and definite deliverables defined and agreed upon. If this was not done in the beginning I would strongly suggest that you setup a meeting and get all your expectations out on the table. If this agent can not meet your expectations then it is time to find one that can. Some agents are better working with buyers then sellers. It is not that your current agent is good or bad, maybe just not the one you are looking for.

Randy,
I would say that besides paperwork and actual sale, the #1 Role of a listing agent is MARKETING! I know the market is tough right now but there are many agents still selling homes. A sign in the yard and a listing in the MLS just doesn't cut it these days. I would also steer clear of those that will put marketing dollars into a newspaper ad. When was the last time you looked in a newspaper to find a home?
Here is a blog I wrote about how Realtors can market homes. Tough times call for unique strategies.

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1117888/why-the-heck-won-t-m…

1. Has she done a video tour of your home and put it ALL OVER THE INTERNET?
2. Is she hosting open houses? On top of that, is she getting with other listing agents in the neighborhood to host a mass neighborhood open house?
3. If you are searching other sites online (besides the MLS), is your home on there?
4. When your house is shown, are you getting the feedback left from the other agents? This will tell you why exactly a buyer didn't like your home the BEST (Could be staging, pricing, location, the kitchen, etc.)

I hope this was helpful
Stephen Strickhausen
KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY
9175 Carothers Pky Suite 110
615-778-1818
Sstrickhausen@gmail.com http://www.Sstrickhausen.com

Randy
Unmet expectations are the single biggest problem that clients have with service providers.

I recommend that you make up a list of things that you need/want/would like to have done.

I would provide that agenda to your Realtor beforehand and schedule a meeting so you can both discuss mutual concerns.

If this helps here are a few pointers:
1. Outline your target purchase.
2. Are you qualified to purchase by a lender, so you know your price range?
3. Does your target home exist?
4. What happens if you cannot find that home? Do you have alternatives?

5. How many homes do you think your Realtor should show you before you buy? The average number of homes in my area is 12-24.

6. What plan does your Realtor have? What is the plan after you've seen 12-24 homes and have not made a purchase?

7. Are you both able to make a mutual commitment? My clients and I have a written buyer broker agreement that specifies our mutual responsibilities.

Good luck.

Keiht

Randy: Of course, there is agency deliverables and then there's customer service. While your agent may be fulfilling the "agency" in the state of Tennessee, it's obvious there's a disconnect.

One thing I've started with my seller is a "covenant." This document explains what I expect from you and what you should expect from me. It includes questions and information like, "What is your preferred medium for communication," "what date and time is best for me to call or email," and the expected time on market. On the seller's side, it outlines my hours for communications and what in the marketing plan will be delivered at what time.

Entering into an agent relationship is like a marriage. If you didn't go through pre-marital counseling and had a shot-gun wedding, unhappiness and divorce chances are higher. The pre-counseling should be a time to lay out expectations beyond agency. When honest communication happens, it's a beautiful thing in realty.

Randy: I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe you need another one (Realtor). To your question: We WORK for you, at least we're supposed too. We have a duty (due-diligence) to guide/help/protect you through the buying process, including the paperwork (which is extensive and technical), through the escrow process, your inspections, and to the closing...and AFTER as far as I'm concerned.

HI Randy

The short answer - you need to vocalize your frustrations....have a sit-down and express your feelings - do it soon! Open communication between seller and agent is vital.

I have a question for you. Did you receive a written marketing plan prior to listing your home?
I am always disheartened when I hear someone is in your position......left floundering after the listing was taken.

I always offer a written plan, and make sure I adhere to it. This way, the seller and I are on the same page, and they know what to expect from me. Included as part of my plan is a promise to speak at least once weekly, and more often as needed........to keep the seller "in the loop" as far as the market is concerned, and to share any and all updates as they occur (this means to alert the seller to any new listings, under contracts, price reductions and just closed properties). If this hasn't been done for you, then you need to request it at this time. Feedback after all showings is important, too. If there are no showings, ask your agent to check with other realtors who have similarly priced listings in your area, and see if they have had any showings. This wil give you an idea of what the activity level has been. These are just some suggestions of items to go over with your agent. During your discussion, you should also review the other marketing efforts - photos, brochures, internet placement, virtual tours, open houses, etc, etc.

You can always ask the manger or broker of record to be part of the meeting so that you will have confidence that your needs will be met as the prcess continues.

All the best to you....
Debbie Rose
Prudential NJ Properties

Greetings Randy,

I like to think of it as a partnership. Yes, the market is slow but it is moving and thanks to really low interest rates and the tax credit is starting to respond locally. To that end, without having more information about your listing it's hard to identify the problem. When I list homes, I am very clear with my sellers that we are engaging in a partnership with regards to the marketing. Most Realtors these days have a network of websites at their disposal to place your listing on and you should be aware of what those are (including Trulia, Zillow, Google, Realtor, Realtor, etc...) They should be able to give you stats about page views, feedback from your showings, and provided you solid data about what has happened in your market in the last 30-90 days. If you are not receiving this information then you need to request it. In addition, the feedback and statistical analysis gleaned from your Realtor should give you invaluable analyses about whether your home is appropriately priced or whether there are some easy improvements you can make that might position you better which is why the marketing is a partnership.

Every Realtor has their own system for communicating with their sellers but this is something that should be explained up front in the listing presentation. I generally try to follow up with my sellers about once a week and forward on any feedback from a showing immediately. Bottom line, if you are not happy with the service you are getting, then I would discuss this candidly with your agent. In general we want to please and we would rather hear from you than have you walk around frustrated with us.

Randy,

I would have a meeting with the agent and have her document how she has followed the marketing plan that was agreed upon at the time of the signing of the listing agreement. If it appears that it is not as agreed upon, give her an ultimatum in the way of a time frame to get it together, or ask for a cancellation of the listing. Maybe she will suggest something in the way of additional marketing that you may be satisfied with. If she is uncooperative in any way, go to the managing broker of the agency. If it goes down badly and you have to start from scratch, you may want to refer to the blog attached to the first link below for info on selecting a new agent. The second link is directed to FSBOs, however there is info in it that you could possibly use to supplement your agent's efforts. Anything that you would like to try on your own should be discussed with your agent first, and always use the agent as the contact person. Good luck.

http://www.trulia.com/blog/rockinblu/2008/12/i_ve_got_my_fin…

http://www.trulia.com/blog/rockinblu/2008/08/thinking_about_…