Bobby,

Many people believe that all realtors are created equal but that is no truer for realtors than it is for doctors, attorneys and other licensed professionals. The successful purchase or sale of each home is determined in a large measure by the realtor’s experience, integrity, education, marketing and negotiation skills. Just as you deserve the best legal advice or medical care available, you deserve to be well represented in the largest financial transaction of your life.

You should choose and agent with an aggressive and comprehensive marketing program and expert negotiation skills. Ask for a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee that allows you to cancel your listing or buyer’s agent agreement if you are not satisfied for any reason.

Donna had some great and very comprehensive information on choosing your next agent. I would follow her advice as you carefully interview new agents. I also have some information on selecting the right agent that I would be happy to send you.

Good luck as you make some tough decisions.

Diana

Bobby, As previous agents have mentioned, contact the listing BROKER and request a termination of the listing.

When interviewing another agent to list your property consider the following:

If you're like most people, you want the highest price possible in the least amount of time when you sell your home. The truth is most homeowners cheat themselves out of thousands of dollars in profits because few real estate agents and Sellers know the secrets of getting the maximum value for your property. Many use ineffective real estate methods. Investigating the average selling time and cost for houses in your neighborhood is a very tiny portion of research needed to effectively sell your home in the least amount of time at the best price possible.

I suggest you interview 3 real estate agents so you can find someone who will understand your goals and have the ability to review the overall market conditions. You need someone who has a proven strategic plan to help you get the price you deserve for your home, and someone who is so confident in their plan that he/she is willing to risk their own money and time to assist you in the sale of your home.
Questions to ask when interviewing an agent:
1. Why should I choose you as my listing agent?
2. What services do you offer?
3. Do you have a strategic marketing plan which will increase the odds of getting more money for may home than other listing agents? If so, what reearch do you use to back up your plan? How will you execute the plan? What proof do you have of your plan'ssuccess?
4. Do you have a detailed budget for what you are prepared to spend or place at risk in marketing my home? If so are you willing to share it with me?
5. How will you execute your plan?
6. How will you communicate with me during the listing?
7. Do you have a list of service providers you work with?
8. Will you provide me a list of past clients I may contact?
Maximizing the selling price of your home begins with a comprehensive plan through targeted marketing and maximum exposure to qualified buyers. And, you want an expert to help you with negotiation strategies and skills to get the maximum value for your home on terms that meet your needs. Great plans and promises that are poorly executed will fail to deliver, so it's important to have someone on your team who DELIVERS. Otherwise you may not get the best value for your home costing you time, money, and stress.

When I list a home these are just some of the steps I take:

1. Prior to the house going on the market get the Seller to have the house pre-inspected and make any necessary repairs; have the house de-cluttered and staged; have a professional photographer take photos and prepare virtual tour; add text to virtual tour and photos to "tell the story" about the house; create flyers; create Just Listed postcards to be mailed to neighborhoods priced just below the value of your property for those potential Buyers hoping to move up.
2. While house is being prepared to list, place flyers in box stating the property in not yet listed - be the first to receive information about this listing!
3. After the house is prepared and flyers have been created, place on MLS on Thursday in preparation of weekend traffic.
4. On Friday send out e-blasts of Open House invitation.
5. On Sunday have an Open House.

Your property should be listed on at least 20 websites to optimize viewing traffic.

There should be weekly communication providing feedback from inquiries, Open Houses, and internet viewings.

Hope this helps!

Feel free to give me a call or email me if you have any further questions.

Donna Ciccarelli
GRI, ABR, CPS, CNE, EcoBroker

512-259-9154 Home office, after 6:30 pm family time (thanks!)
512-736-3124 Cell, after 6:30 pm family time (thanks!) http://www.donnaciccarelli.com

Goldwasser Real Estate
500 N. Capital of Texas Hwy.
Bldg. 5, Ste. 100
Austin, TX 78746
Office: (512) 420-0300 • Fax: (800) 948-4045

View all homes for sale in Austin at http://www.GoldwasserRealEstate.com

Services to expect -
provide you with up to date market data to price your property correctly (3 showings in 3 months you are over priced) -(has your agent asked you to lower the price?)

Place in the MLS - and as many other websites as possible i.e. trulia - enhanced listing in REALTOR..com
(according the survey that the national association of realtors just finished - most buyers start their home search on the internet and a large percentage find their new home home on the internet - less than 1% read the home magazines and less than 3% for newspapers. 15% for yard sign)
The rest happens once and offer is received - negotiations, paperwork, running a transaction smoothly to close taking care of problems with the lenders, surveyors, inspectors, clouds on the title etc.

Most really good agents provide a Unconditional Satisfaction Guarantee like Becky's -
knock on wood - I've never had a client use that option - but it was there if they felt they needed it.

If you really want a different agent - talk to the broker - they will reassign you to new agent

I think the real problem is your agent let you come on the market over priced and is afraid to offend you by telling you that you are over priced.

Good luck and I hope your home sells soon.

Hi Bobby,

First you can just simply ask to withdraw your listing from the agent and then if they refuse you can go talk to their broker. The broker may ask if you'd like to be reassigned to another agent in their office.

Personally, I feel that if my client is unhappy with my services and they want to withdraw the listing then I will honor that wish. Because I wouldn't want to tie someone to a contract if they're truly unhappy. I wouldn't want them to feel like they are stuck. To me it's all about good customer service whether I'm working with a seller or a buyer and if I'm not giving good service then I should let them out of the contract. I feel that the agent should be held accountable to the service that they give.

Anyway, that's just my business philosophy! lol! I hope that this helps you with your situation.

Becky Nay, GRI
Keller Williams Realty
801-573-2077
beckynay@kw.com
http://www.beckynay.com