Picture this: You have lived in the same house for a decade. The family is growing and it is time to move up. And it is a BIG move with BIG financial implications. You hire a Realtor and begin your search. In a short time you find what you think will be your dream home- 5 bedrooms, 4000 square feet and lots of upgrades. But there's a "but". It has been on the market for almost a year. In this market. There must be something wrong with it, right?
You task your agent to get the answers to a list of questions- why hasn't the seller accepted an offer yet? How many offers have been made? Why don't some of the sprinklers work? Why is the carpet worn in a strange pattern on the stairs? All of these questions are completely valid, especially when you're going to be spending more than half a million dollars.
Since the house is vacant and there is no direct contact with the owner, your agent has to turn to the listing agent to glean as much information as possible to make you comfortable enough to make an offer. The listing agent is much like a gatekeeper of information- they will either already know the answers to your questions or will go back to the seller and get the answers and relay them back to your agent.
But what if they don't??
Well, as you can probably tell by now I am in this situation with clients. And unfortunately the listing agent is completely unwilling to give up any information the buyers are asking for. When I asked him how many offers had been made and when was the most recent one made, his response was "that shouldn't matter to the buyers or effect their willingness to purchase the property". HUH? It is a simple question that should yield a simple answer. When asked about the sprinklers and the carpet, his answer was "the buyer needs to investigate that through inspections once an offer has been accepted". Wait, what?
His attitude and affect towards my buyer's concerns is so negative and unhelpful it is no wonder this house is still for sale. So, in thinking about this at length, I have to conclude that his terrible attitude towards cooperating agents MUST be a contributing factor in the house sitting on the market for so long. I know for certain his attitude has effected my client's willingness to purchase the home. His evasiveness is making them uncomfortable, and when spending a large amount of money being comfortable is paramount.
What is the lesson here? If you are a seller, it DOES matter what kind of attitude your agent has when representing you. You have to remember- they are your voice to the other side of the transaction, so their attitude and way they portray you can not only make or break a deal, it can cost you money.
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