Anja Howard

Yes, what the other agents are saying is true about price being important here..and without seeing your home and knowing what comps have sold that are identical to yours I cannot give you a 100% answer of that being your only issue. What I can ask you is how are you marketing it? I just recently sold a home in Virginia Beach that had an issue of functional obsolescence. Basically the home was listed as having a downstairs bedroom and two upstairs master suites. The home was beautifully staged and newly updated but the flow of the floor plan on the main level turned many buyers off. The 1st floor bedroom was directly open to the front door of the home and the living room and the bathroom was on the other side near the kitchen. So we changed our marketing plan..took the bed out of the room and replaced it with a chaise lounge. Instead of describing the room as a bedroom we gave buyers OPTIONS. Rephrasing it as an optional guest room/media room we got our offer..and it wasn't a low ball one:) - Sun Nov 16 2008, 07:57

Since your question is an issue that frustrates sellers and agents alike, I have been thinking I may implement something new for myself in the future..Instead of waiting on the agent to call back with feedback sometimes days after the showing why not create a feedback form (keep it simple) that they can fill out at the time of the tour? This a standard practice that I implement with my open houses and my agent office tours so it does work and the best part is the agent gets to leave it there with his business card and they are done with it! Make sure it is in a highly visible spot, (kitchen island is where I would put it), so they can't miss it and it may help to place a bowl of leftover halloween candy bars next to it just to make it more enticing..:) - Sun Nov 16 2008, 07:43

As a listing agent, I have to agree that getting 100% feedback from agents after each showing is challenging sometimes. I also know how important that communication can be to the seller. One thing that has worked for me-when each agent calls to request a showing, I always thank them and then remind them that once they have taken the tour, they can expect a phone call from me to touch base. I have found that making the phone call as close after the showing as possible eliminates confusion they may have after viewing 8 properties and forgotten which one is which. Emailing and fax can be useful, too, but they don't always check it as quickly. Good luck!:) - Fri Nov 14 2008, 12:23

Wow,
Ed you have gotten alot of good feedback from this question! One thing I did forget to mention before is signs and events. If you are planning on doing an open house on the weekend and you know down the street there is an event on that day-(community yard sale, church service, Greek festival or holiday planned function) then make it work for you! Invest in lots of extra mini directionals and balloons and position them so all of the extra traffic will see it. Also the flyer tubes are great to add to the smaller signs with additional information on open house times and location of the property. You'd be surprised how many people will stop by after a church service on a whim JUST BECAUSE THEY SAW THE SIGN. All of this advertising in the paper and in real estate books to me is a bunch of bologna..I have yet to have a guest register their form of finding the open house was because of ads, it is always either flyers, signs or because of word of mouth from the neighbors. In this market, as an agent, investing your time and money into what will give you the most results is key. - Sun Nov 16 2008, 07:26

Hi Ed,
It's refreshing to see a question on here from an agent that is genuinely focusing on new ways to improve the level of service you are offering to your clients. It is so important to re evaluate what is working for you presently and also what things you would like to see an improvement on. Personally, I think in this market that it is vital to do this on a regular basis to gain an edge on where the real estate industry is heading and to think outside of the box. In reference to traffic increase for your open houses, I would suggest you make sure to change under your public remarks on your listing the open house time and date a week before your open house to maximize exposure should anyone be surfing the web , (whether an agent or a homebuyer). Also, I have had success by emailing the agents directly who are also working in the area close to my listings with an open house flyer invitation and a simple message that reads I will be happy to show their listing to buyers who would like additional options and they are welcome to show mine. It's amazing the positive feedback I have gotten from such a small gesture. Recently for a new listing, I did this and got an immediate call back from one of the agents who requested a showing and within the first week of my listing the same agent brought me an offer. Once you have established what kind of buyers would be interested in your open house, target those neighborhoods with invitations to the open house and call all of the neighbors too. I really liked one of the suggestions that was given on teaming together with other agents to coordinate multiple tours of properties in the close vicinity to your open house. That is a trend I am seeing in my area at the oceanfront as well. It makes sense and what is neat is that the agents are working together even from different competing companies for these open house tours. If you really get inspired put on a good pair of walking shoes, a good suit, and a smile and door knock in the neighborhood around your open house with invitations and business cards before the event. Sometimes getting back to the basics with people is what is needed even if that means more work:) Good Luck and hope this helps. - Mon Nov 10 2008, 15:07

Jenny,
Owning a home for the first time can be so exciting! You are smart enough to be considering all of your options and what will hold the most value. Apart from the decision of weighing a townhouse/condo vs. a single family home, I would also consider a few other variables. Look at the projected growth for that area you are considering to relocate in. Drive the neighborhoods at different times of day and observe the general noise and traffic patterns. What type of school district is it in? For my listings I post the school test scores and ratings so there is plenty to help educate people with their decision. Find out the crime rate and proximity each one has to offer to amenities locally. My grandmother was in real estate years ago, and some advice she gave to each of us as first time buyers was always buy the most affordable home in the best neighborhood you can afford. A big house means nothing if the location is not there. Keep in mind that most first time home buyers do not stay in their house forever, you can always find something bigger down the road as your needs change or your family grows. - Fri Nov 14 2008, 13:32

Glad to hear so many of you with positive feedback on the increase in showings! I beleive it is our job as agents to be candid when dealing with clients and their concerns. There is so much uncertainty that people have been expressing with the shift in the market and new elections..this is simply the adjustment that was bound to take place. The media has sensationalized these fears and really we need to be as professionals the ones to inform them of the growing number of options that exist currently. It's all about who you ask and how you choose to adapt to find solutions in any given situation. Good to know that things are still looking up for many of you! - Fri Nov 14 2008, 12:58