Switching agents after a year & no offers..advice PLEASE!

[leo_075]

Hi,
Glad to find this board. We live outside of Boise, Idaho in Nampa. We have a home on the market in great condition that we have lowered and lowered and lowered to the point where we are making about 2-3 grand off the house now - if that. We must sell it or foreclosure will happen soon. The agent that we are using is also a friend, however, I am not sure that the fact the agent has a very small agency she works with, with little advertising other than MLS may play a factor in this. We have thought about going to a larger company like a Remax or Coldwell Banker to sell the house faster. Our agent is having us offer $2500 towards buyers closing costs and the fact that it's lower than most 2 stories (although our's is a Tri-Level) it's still hasn't had even a looker in weeks. We have had a total of about 15-18 people view the house in about a 10 month time, but no offers. Now it's to the point where two houses around us have recently sold (single level and 2 story), but no viewings on ours. Would it be wise to switch agents? I know nationwide the market isn't that great, but you would think being that ours is lower than most that we would have something. Thanks for any advice!.

[FortHoodRealEstate]

Sounds like your agent is trying to get it sold, but let me throw some suggestions on the table. First of all, when you put the home on the market, did you receive a market analysis from your realtor? Were you advised to price your home to sell and not build in room to negotiate? The price reductions taken so far are probably the result of going on the market too high, and now you are chasing a declining market, which never works because you are always overpriced no matter when you make a reduction. Unfortunately, going on the market overpriced almost always results in you ending up accepting less than you would if it had been priced right from the beginning. I have seen it happen over and over just like that. Only advertising in the MLS is just fine. It's the quality of the advertisement that matters. Are there good photos, compelling copy about the home, are all the details correct, such as number of baths and market area? Small details that are incorrect can have a major effect on how many customers actually know about your home. Ask your agent to show you the MLS sheet and check the info out yourself. Don't worry about not being advertised in other places. In reality, those print advertisements only serve to general leads for agents. They very very very rarely sell a house. Internet exposure is more important than print advertising these days. Ask your agent where your home appears online. Ask if she posts to Craigslist.com, if she uses vflyer.com or postlets.com. Also, ask if the home is featured on realtor.com or at least appears there. Be sure your home is clean, sparkling kitchen and baths, with all the clutter picked up, yard clean and tidy, garage at least semi arranged. If your home needs paint, carpet, if it smells or needs any repairs, word will spread fast among agents and they wont show it, especially since there are so many other well priced homes to choose from. If you don't want to confront your agent with these questions, go ahead and interview other agents. Sometimes talking with another agent can really be an eye opener, especially if you chose an agent with several years of experience. We've been there, done that, and can help you sort this out. Just because you talk with another agent does not obligate you to hire that agent. I often talk with sellers who have problems with their agent, give them suggestions and help them and their agent do what needs to be done to sell the house. Good luck!

[leo_075]

Thank you for your insight. Yes, she is advertising us on realtor.com and we have literally spent the last almost year keeping the house near to spotless (which is really hard to do with 2 children) in hopes that it will the "the day". Most people have told us what time they are coming so we dust, vacuum, and anything else that can be tidy before they get here. We have tried scented candles, classical music - literally anything that's been suggested, we've tried. We even tried the St. Joseph statue!!! ;) We went on the market $5,000 lower than others in our range that way we thought we would have an advantage. She has already sent us a copy of the MLS because I asked her for it about 3 months ago and have been keeping an eye myself what's going on in this market and asking her to lower it as I see others lower their homes. It does help to see another's insight and I appreciate all you posted.

Thank you!

[FortHoodRealEstate]

There is some reason it's not selling. If you would like me to review your realtor.com and other website advertising for clues, email me your mls# and I'll take a look.

[stock_post]

once it is on mls/realtor.com

your agent is not alone. There are 1000's of realtors who would try to sell the house. It is not for helping you, just to help them make a living.

So, if your realtor did the best he could, you may check the market conditions and see what is missing.

If you look around and similar homes are selling you may get some clues on price etc.

Wish you good luck.

[leo_075]

Thank you for your reply. Yes, I thought that the realtor would do the best they could in times where the market is slow, so maybe it's just the type of house we have isn't as desirable as others. It's a tri-level which has been great for us with kids, but some may not like the idea that 2 of the 4 bdrms is below ground even though there are lots of windows and it's a 7 year old house...maybe it's something that some families aren't looking for. We are very low compared to others in our build and area. We are lowering it another 3,000 by the weekend. I appreciate everyone's replies to my post!