As the marketing coordinator for The Amy Pomerantz Group at Coldwell Banker HPW, I have the distinct honor (more like one of my duties, lol) of following up with agents for feedback.
It's nothing new that we've come to rely on the feedback from you, the buyer's agent. Feedback is valuable because you know the word on the street, so to speak.
According to Stu Barnes's Blog our showing service (CSS) reports that 61% percent of agents have given feedback in the last few months. From my experience, I would say its more like 50%. I know most agents probably don't want to hear from me about feedback, I try be as nice as possible. CSS makes it incredibly easy and simple to leave feedback. It takes maybe a minute per listing. So if you showed 20 houses that day, it would take 20 minutes of your time. I know your probably busy with clients, but this little courtesy goes such a long way for the listing agent.
Here are some reasons why you should leave feedback;
1. You've seen all the houses in the neighborhood and therefore are a walking plethora of market value information. So when my boss wants to tell the seller its time to reduce the price, feedback that says "a little over priced for the neighborhood", or "condition of home not comparable to others in the neighborhood within similar price range", can go a long way to convincing the seller its time to reduce.
2. The place reeks and we don't know about it! O-M-Gosh how many times does this happen? Of course its not just always bad smells, but also strong odors. Sometimes its the over abundance of plug-ins, sometimes its the pet, sometimes a diaper simmering in the waste basket.
3. The over abundance of antique or old furniture makes the place look dated. We knew that going in. We might have even pleaded with the seller to store some of it. Your comments regarding this can back up our assessment.
4. The home is dirty and cluttered. Usually this the result of a sellers hectic schedule, but we can share that feedback with them and make sure they understand the importance of having the home looking in the best possible shape.
5. Lights were off house looks dark, AC was off. I'm all for energy conservation, but when it comes to showings, the lights need to be on, blinds open, and the AC set at a decent temperature. This is great feedabck that we can share with the seller and we won't know unless you tell us!
6. Suggestions for minor tweaks that will go a long way. Your comment "clients not crazy about flower patterned wallpaper" or "clients couldn't see pass the green walls" can go a long way with helping us convince the seller, who didn't heed our original advice on taking the wallpaper down and painting the walls a neutral color.
7. General impressions are also great. Comments about how the house looks in general are great and make a seller feel better when they know their house is in optimal showing state.
8. Like Stu's Blog, comments like “home showed great, loved the hardwood floors, paint was great….buyers will keep in mind”, are much better than, "first time out with buyers". The purpose of feedback is to let us know your opinion of the condition the home.
So keep that in mind next time you show a fellow agent's listing and that email comes up looking for feedback. Think of it as your contribution to your real estate community. We appreciate your support!
Nogui Aramburo
REALTOR® and Marketing Coordinator
The Amy Pomerantz Group, Coldwell Banker, HPW
Cell: 919.771.3609
Email: Nogui@AmyPomerantz.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/nogui
