Dear Seller - Have You Checked Your Listing OnLine?
Trust is very important when it comes to selecting your real estate agent! You must know that 
they have your best interest in mind and that they will go above and beyond to get your property sold for the most amount of money in the least amount of with a minimal amount of stress to you. With that said......
I have seen VERY bad examples lately in the local Multiple Listing Service. Many of the offending examples are:
- Pictures - in the local Triangle Multiple Listing Service we are permitted to have 25 photos of a property. (Please know that it is different in other parts of the country) Is YOUR agent doing their part in taking advantage of the multitude of pictures allowed? The amount of pictures isn't even as big a concern as the quality of pictures. I have seen pictures of beds - not bedrooms, toilets - not bathrooms, dining room tables - not dining rooms and refrigerators - not kitchens. There is a HUGE difference!
- Descriptions - We have a limited amount of space with which to describe your property in MLS. Is that space being maximized by your agent and drawing attention to the most important features of your property? Lately I have seen some poor examples of descriptions - one of the worst was "Bring Offer". Mind you, this wasn't a short sale or an REO but a Fair Market sale!
- Details - Are the measurements in the MLS listing accurate? Is the acreage correct? What about the HOA (if there is one) is the propert information provided?
I agree that it shouldn't be your responsibility to have to verify that this information is correct but, let's face it, mistakes can happen. Perhaps it wasn't your agent that entered the listing in MLS but rather an assistant that had a difficult time reading the handwriting. Maybe at the time the pictures were taken it was a dark and cloudy day and therefore didn't allow adequate sunlight for perfect pictures.
Always know that YOU CAN REQUEST that information be updated, revised or deleted. Your real estate agent should know best how to market your property but it is always wise to double check it online yourself!
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Welcome to Wake Forest NC!
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Leesa Finley the "Wake Forest NC House Chick"
Circa Properties
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Oh some of it is just horrible, Ginevra! It is a shame to see such a disservice to a seller whether it is a fair market sale, a short sale or an REO!
I SO wish everyone would check up on their agent. One of the worst experiences of my early years selling real estate was when I saw the face of the seller who realized his agent was offering $5,000 to buyers without the sellers permission. Heartbreaking.
Leesa, I think we should all send the MLS information and copies of all of our folders and mailers for our clients to OK. A lot of the time they pick up little mistaes or have ideas to make them better.
So, I guess mine have checked up on before they get to the Inernet.
And agents should look at the online info through the eyes of the seller!
Featured in the Group "Whacked!!!"
Leesa
How sad to see people get let down; even worst is the fact that agents only hurt themselves for future business.
OMG Leesa.....I have seen some listings that I just want to print the listing, and run to the door screaming...."I can help..I can help!"
I guess that would violate the Code of Ethics tho........Bummer. Guess that poor seller will just have to remain in the dark.
I send a copy of my listing to ALL my Sellers so they can SEE what their listing looks like. If they want to change something we change it....words, pictures, price......
Isn't that our job???
Leesa, I agree, a seller should check these things out, but so should the listing agent. Make sure that all of your photos show up well, our MLS compresses our photos to a smaller size in the listing page, but opens them up in the picture viewer. Make sure that they look good! Great post, like a buyer, the seller should also do their due dilligence!
I think some sellers are just not really in it to sell, or honestly don't read, watch HGTV or speak to friends about this. There's a house in my neighborhood that's "on the market" with only the white signpost, no sign. It's been like this for 3 MONTHS. How does that owner walk out every day and not call his agent and ask where the rest of the sign is? Maybe he's a tenant and could care less. AND it's on a busy street. Great exposure for that agent IF he had a brain.
I always send a copy of the MLS to my sellers after I have everything entered. I some times draw a blank when trying to describe the property for sale. I have found that asking for input from the seller will unlock some creativity that I was not able to find when doing the initial entry. And it's a good way to keep the seller involved in the process of marketing the property.
OH Leesa did you have to get me goin this early in the morning. How about no pictures, that really burns me. One says gas log fireplace and its a wood burning fireplace. It also says built in 1994 and its a 1989. Huge difference! I do what Jim does, I send or personally bring the MLS sheet to the seller to get their apporval and I am not perfect and do make mistakes that maybe they will catch. I also ask them what they LOVE about living there.
Oh wow, Joetta - that IS a horrible story! How sad!
I do the same, Pat - I ALWAYS ask if everything looks okay before their listing goes live.
Thanks for the Group Feature, Richard! Greatly appreciated! You are right - always look through the eyes of a seller AND a buyer!
u're right, Tom - word certainly gets out!
I have had to stop myself many times as well, Thom! It is so sad to see properties marketed poorly! Now, I HAVE gone on listing appointments where the listing has expired and I just "happen" to have a print out of their previous listing and I just "happen" to have it out so the sellers can see it. It doesn't help them now that they have lost all that time but at least they can see why their home hadn't sold!
Leesa,
Good info.....Verify !!!
I agree Tony but seriously there are just some agents out there that don't care.
I lost a listing last winter and it made me cringe when they put it online The photos were horrid. The first one was a messy snow picture with the car in the driveway (did the car come with the house?) The 2nd picture was of a hallway showing on the side view of winter coats hanging on coathooks. And no staging. It just killed me. The listing has expired and I knew I could sell it. I hope to get it back but they are so discouraged they do not want t talk about it now. : (
Thanks for this excellent post, Leesa!
Hi Leesa, sellers should ask for and agents provide ad copy (mls and web site) for the sellers review. Excellent post!
Wow, Coral - that really is bad! You seriously would think that they would have asked about the sign by now.
You're so right, jim! Of course, it's our job to market their property but when the sellers become involved it really makes a difference!
We are not permitted to have NO pictures, June! Big fine! However, some of the crazy ways I have seen agents get around that.......ggrrrr~!
On the other side of the coin have you ever showed a property and it wasn't nearly what the pictures on the listing showed it as?
Leesa.....I think it is a very good idea to "inspect what you expect", both for the seller and the listing agent, by going on line and reviewing the property information and remarks.
Thanks, Robert! I owe you a phone call!
Thanks Barbara and that is REALLY sad! You could have sold that home in a better market and everyone would have been happy! Now? Who knows what they'll do and if they relist they may had to adjust the price due to the current market.
Thanks, Dan, and I totally agree. Then again we obviously are the minority or we would be having this problem at all!
ROFLMAO!!!! YES, Debbie I have!!!!!! Thanks for bringing the flip side to the table!
I like that line, Carra so I am stealing it! (your not trademarked with it right?)
Don't forget about spelling and numbers that are inaccurate. Sellers hate to see their listing with spelling errors.
HA! And there are some reall doozies at times, Phil!
Leesa - good post and I usually send the MLS sheet to the client to verify for accuracy.
Thanks Sharon and yes, we all should do that but it's pretty obvious that there are times sellers aren't reviewing their listings.
Hey Leesa - it's proactive to forward links and a copy of the mls printout to the seller to double check data and view the online photos. Even the best of agents can make an error now and then - or the office person that is often assigned to enter the data and can't make out the description of what was written.
I agree, Carla - it isn't always the agent that makes a mistake. Many times there are others that are involved in getting a listing on-line.
Stager here.. Not much gets me more agitated than checking out listings online. If I really want to get my blood boiling all I have to do is spend thirty minutes cruising listing photos.
Are there really so many Realtors that are this unsavvy? Do they even see the wrinkled bedding or the trash cans in the driveway? Can those bookshelves hold any more junk ? Is that purple bedroom really going to help sell this house? ( Can you hear the mouse click as the online shoppers move to the next lsting?)
Then there are the photos of bare white walls with the charming undressed windows in the corner. Lots of inspiration there! OH look, a mismatched outlet and switchplate and a burnt out lightbulb in the ceiling fixture!,, Well, if that's all there is to look at, then that's the guarantee of a quick click to someone else's website!
There are good qualified stagers in almost every community these days. Please , at the very least, get a consultation before the time and money are spent on flyers and photos and that precious first impression is lost. Understand that often it is the Realtor who must educate their seller since they are the pros and sellers rely on YOU for the latest and best information.
I called a seller recently (per MLS instructions, of course) to preview and take pictures for an out of town client who wanted, DUH, pictures - there were none in the listing after 21 days on market. When I got there and asked if it was ok to take pictures, he was flabbergasted there were none online!
Leesa, Such a good reminder. Also have the sellers google their address, check it on R.com and even call the office to ask about their home. See how the office is handling the questions. How many agents would feel comfortable giving this information?
Margaret
Leesa how can some real estate agents do this to their clients? I know that nobody is perfect but this is why we always have to go over things before we finalize it. Thanks for the remainder. Great post.
Bravo, Anne! Very sound advice and WELL worth it to spend the time and money speaking to a professional stager! I whole-heartedly agree that a stage home will sell much faster that one that is not.
I wish I could say I was surprised, Susan, but I am not! That is really sad!
That is such good advice, Margaret! While a seller usually and should trust their agent it is always best to double check!
It's a shame Lanre how common it actually is! Hate to say it but it really happens quite a bit!