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Real Estate Marketing No-No’s

Posted On Wednesday, 30 September 2020 21:02

Can real estate agents take on too many properties to sell? There are times you might think so due to the lack of positive information and photographs that appear on MLS listing sheets and property flyers. A bad listing sheet or flyer is worse than none. It says the agent is unprofessional and does not care whether the listing sells or not. Take a look at some of the no-no’s and make sure that real estate agent is not you.

1. Hurry and list a property on the MLS. Do not bother getting all, or even most, of the required information from the seller or by examining the property in person. And do not take any photographs, or else take photographs of the lawn before it is mowed, the house before it is repaired, and the children’s bedroom before it is cleaned up. Post the unfavorable photos to show the seller you are doing your job. Any agent who is looking for a particular property for their client will see the above listing and mark it as something they would never present to their buyer, unless their client is looking for an income tax loss, in which case a very low-ball offer will be presented.

2. Do not worry about spell checking an MLS listing. Other agents will know what you mean. Spell checkers will not catch every mistake, but they will find many. Not using the checker brands an agent as an amateur and someone who does not pay attention to detail. What seller would want to work with an agent who is careless like that?

3. On the MLS listing, tell agents they have to make an appointment up to 48 hours in advance to show the property to their clients. When buyers stop by real estate agencies, many times they are in town just for the day. Does a seller really want to lose out on at least half of the potential buyers who are looking at homes? Explain the selling process to home owners and try to get them to be reasonable. After all, buyers understand that homes will probably not be 100 percent perfect in appearance at any given moment.

4. Set up a virtual tour on the Internet with photographs of the back yard with the neighbor’s three junk cars showing through the wire fence, two dogs fighting on the sidewalk, a dozen shingles missing from the roof, a kitchen cabinet with a door missing, and a hole in the living room wall, but at least there are multiple photos for agents and buyers to see. Such photographs are not flattering and will not evoke the response an agent or homeowner is hopeful for. If a property is a dump and the owner will not clean it up, it is better to not take photographs for the listing sheet and definitely not to put them on a virtual tour for everyone to see. Instead, play up the neighborhood if it is being gradually cleaned up. Write about the nearby amenities, such as schools, shopping area, employment opportunities, etc. Show photos of spectacular views. And then explain to the sellers how much more they can get for the property if is cleaned up. Perhaps the homeowner can contact the authorities. Is there an ordinance regarding the neighbor’s cars? How about a leash law? Help the owner see the profitability of making changes so that a virtual tour could be used to help sell the property. If you need expert advice visit our site where you will easily find local real estate lawyer.

5. Hurry and put the lockbox on the door without checking to make sure the owner provided the correct key, or include a key for a doorknob that does not work. Always check the lockbox key first in case the seller mistakenly gave out the wrong key. Also check to see that the key does not stick and the doorknob opens easily. A little lubricant goes a long way in making a home easy to enter and show to buyers. If a buyer sees how hard it is to open the door, she may wonder what else does not work properly.

6. Make up a listing or flyer with incorrect information. Say the home has a lake view, even though the trees have to drop all of their leaves in order for someone to see the lake. Describe the living room as large and airy because the patio door is broken and will not close all the way. Everyone will delight in your creativeness.

When an agent sees this type of property that is so blatantly misrepresented, they will not show it to their clients and they will lose their respect for the agent who wrote such lies. They will remember that the agent is someone who is dishonest and therefore not an agent they want to work with.

Take the no-no out of marketing. Replace it with taking the time and doing things right. If an agent does not have time to do it right, then perhaps he needs to hire an assistant. He could also refer the seller to another agent and keep a referral fee. Some income is better than no income, and the damage to the careless agent’s reputation may not be reversible. An agent’s duty is to his client. Do the job right and your client list may grow because of it.

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