Katy Stansifer

I guess it would depend on your relationship with your friend. I don't know that much about how Redfin works. If you have an agent write the offer (instead of going through Redfin), do you still get a refund of commission? Are you asking your friend to only write up the offer? What about negotiating with the Seller to finalize the contract? What about other activities to be coordinated for closing? Many agents will do this for your, just be clear on what each of your expectations are for the fee you agree on. - Mon Sep 29 2008, 10:43

I would base it more on the activity you've had in those two weeks and your motivation to get your home sold. If you haven't had 10-12 showings and no offers, then you should consider lowering your price.

I'm assuming that your agent has done a market analysis for you that showed what homes like yours have sold for recently and you have priced your house accordingly. You must also consider what your competition is. There is so much inventory out there right now, you have to outshine every other house in your price range, size, etc. Did you also consider what listings of similar homes have expired in your market analysis? They were rejected by the market. Are you priced similarly? That is what may happen to you if you don't stack up against the competition. The longer you wait, the more you will miss out on potential buyers. If you finally get to the price your house SHOULD be and it's been on the market 30+ days, some buyers may wonder why it has not sold and if there is something wrong with it. - Fri Jun 6 2008, 11:49

You can check the online classifieds for the local newspaper at:

http://www.olympianclassifieds.com/cv3/olympia/

Also, check out Craig's List at:

http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/hsw/

There will be new posts daily and at the end of each ad it will tell you whether the location is Olympia, Tumwater, etc. - Sun Jun 1 2008, 16:24

You can check out the local newspaper classifieds for rental homes, see link below. Also, Craig's list, see second link below, will have local rentals posted daily. At the end of each ad there will be the location, so look for Tumwater.

http://www.olympianclassifieds.com/cv3/olympia/
http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/apa/ - Sun Jun 1 2008, 16:21

Before I was a real estate agent, my husband and I relocated twice because of his job. Both times, we leased a home for one year to get the feel for our new area before buying and were happy that we did. Yes, it is a good time to buy right now, but I believe the best time to buy is when it is right for you. - Sat May 31 2008, 13:02

I'd like to expand on one more item that has been mentioned and that is getting the most exposure to buyer's agents. Most qualified buyers are going to be working with an agent. Those first-time home buyers who need an agent's expertise to assist them through the process and those buyers that have sold their home, either locally or from outside the area, are are working with an agent because they need to find a home quickly.

So what is another way to get agents into a listing? I belong to an association of 150+ agents and affiliates who meet on a weekly basis and tour each other's listings. Those homes get an average of 20-30 agents through in one morning to see their home, provide feedback to the listing agent and have first hand exposure to all the details of that home for their buyers. - Fri May 23 2008, 09:21

D&r:
You've received a lot of great information for your question. I don't have anything to add to the marketing suggestions, but I would seriously consider a hard look at your pricing. Especially with only 11 showings in four months. Also, since it has been four months, you may want your agent to do another CMA to see what, if any, homes have sold in your area during that time. That could help give you a realistic view of what a buyer will pay for a home similar to yours. And take a look at what is currently on the market, which I'm sure has changed since you first listed. How do you stack up against the competition? - Mon May 12 2008, 07:59