Who is in the driver’s seat when it comes to choosing properties for a home tour, agent or buyer? For the second time in a week I have heard sellers say,” oh, the big firms won’t show my house because they have lots of inventory so they will show only their in-house listings.”
Could this be true? First, it would be downright unethical to eliminate properties that fit your client’s criteria just because they were not listed with your firm.
I then took a step back and looked at how the buyers I have worked with recently approached their home search. They are searching like typical buyers today; first, going to the internet, then contacting an agent. When the contact is made the agent now gets a list of homes the new client has looked at online and is interested in seeing. Some go as far as to drive by each and every one of their choices. The agent acts as a facilitator by helping buyers refine their search and brings to their attention information on the internet may not be up-to-date, for example, that the house they might be dreaming about was sold a year ago.
So, who would you say is in the driver’s seat? Today’s buyers are no longer passive but actively engaged in the process of choosing the home they want to view. Gone are the days of the big listing books in the office and numerous pocket listings, buyers are searching everywhere, and with the new apps for smartphones their search is just a click away any time of day.
So, if this is a tactic that is being floated - because a firm has a large inventory listings by others will not be shown - that is plain unethical, even stupid, since, in the end, you can’t fool the consumer.
Jennifer Fivelsdal - JFIVE HOMES REALTY LLC - 845-758-6842- jennifer@jfivehomes.com
www.jfivehomes.com or www.midhudsonhomevalue.com
