Is Your Pittsburgh Realtor a Clown in Disguise?

Is Your Realtor a Clown in Disguise?

Working as a Pittsburgh Realtor for 17 years I have seen just about everything. While there have been quite a few changes over the years in the Real Estate business, the one thing that continues to amaze me is how consumers go about picking a Realtor to represent them in the purchase or sale of their home.

I have seen consumers choose their agent because the agent wears funny clothes, posted a quirky video on Tic Toc, knew them from around the neighborhood or through family or recognized them from a billboard.  Consider this, your home is one of your most valuable financial investments. Would you choose your financial advisor or attorney because they posted a funny Tic Toc while wearing a goofy hat or goofy suit? Then why would you choose your Realtor that way?

Most top producing Realtors that are interviewed get the listing somewhere between 85-90% of the time. Why? Because they are the best of the best. They possess special skills, training and expertise that set them apart from the competition. These Realtors have business plans, marketing staff and resources.  No gimmicks, no BS, just highly refined skills. 

What about the other 10-15% of so-called real estate professionals? 

While monitoring daily property listings Ill notice a newly listed property on the MLS. I check to see who listed the property, their marketing and documentation. My immediate reaction is “WTH who would list with them!”  Sorry to be harsh but it's true! There is a clear difference in skill set, training and expertise.

When I do more research, I realize that I have never heard of the Realtor before. Yet they have been licensed for years. A bigger red flag is when they don't do any business in our market. Looking closely at the listing and marketing I often notice: 

• There are only a couple of pictures of the house posted in MLS.

• The photo quality absolutely SUCKS. 

• Key documentation like the Seller Disclosure are improperly completed or missing.

• The property description lacks value and key word content. It clearly looks like the agent didn't care or didn’t know what to write.  Both are bad.

• Grammar, spelling mistakes, or the use of obscure abbreviations confuse and dissuade potential buyers from looking at the home.

• When I Google the agents name, I expect to see a refined and personalized agent website.  NOPE, nothing...ZIPPO. All I find is a crazy Tic-Toc video of them dancing outside a house or a reference to their “other” full time job outside of real estate.

• When I head over to some of the most visited Real Estate sites in the world like Realtor.com, Zillow.com or Trulia.com, I notice the offending agent hasn’t done anything to "enhance" the listing. We do this by adding extra photos, having detailed descriptions and an enhanced video tour of the home. These enhancements require time, money, and skill.

So, what happens during your contractual relationship with “this” Realtor? 

1.) You discover that the agent either lied or wasn’t qualified to provide you with an accurate home value. Often times your home is overpriced. Sometimes, the home is UNDER priced.

2.) Your home isn’t getting the market exposure that you deserve, and buyers don’t or won’t visit your home.

3.) Feedback is nonexistent because your agent isn’t around. They’re too busy doing other things or working at their “real job.”

4.) You have zero professional marketing material in your home or online. 

5.) You notice they charged you 1/2 percent less on the commission (you thought you saved money).  But you have a listing contract for 365 days, there is no activity on your home, and you are extremely unhappy.

6.) When and if they negotiate a sales contract, they lack the skills and training to get you the best price and terms. Often, they don’t know the legal consequences of certain terms in a sales contract.  

7.) The money you thought you saved just cost you MUCH MORE. 

A REAL ESTATE EXPERT doesn't do these things.  A true professional goes the extra mile in everything they do. They have extensive knowledge and resources to get the job done. They have a passion for their work, and it shows. They have a professional plan. They don’t lock you into unreasonable contracts because they know that they have the skills to fulfil their obligations in a short period of time. 

If you are going to buy or sell a home, interview the Realtor. Know what questions to ask. Visit our website and read our blog about interview questions. It’s free!  Most importantly, don't get stuck with a clown. 

Pierre