The old adage of, "you get what you pay for" is becoming more and more prevalent in the real estate industry these days. And, I'm not necessarily talking about the amount of space that you get when you buy a house. I'm talking about the advice, the representation and the level of professionalism that you can expect in any real estate transaction.
As times get tough, more and more agents are willing and open to taking a reduced commission or fee to work with buyers and sellers - business is business. In fact, some agents are so desperate for business that they may be willing to tell you whatever you want to hear in hopes that it might lead to a payday in some capacity. While that may seem like a positive thing for clients, you get what you pay for.
Let me explain further. I was previewing properties this afternoon to educate myself on a neighborhood prior to a listing appointment. Its so obvious which sellers are working with a knowledgeable and professional real estate agent and which arent.
The first house I toured was staged nicely, it was clean, the flyer box was full and the house showed well. It was all downhill from there. The next houses that I looked at got progressively worse and worse culminating with a house that had a sign frame but no sign, and a broken flyer box with no flyers. You tell me what seller in their right mind would say, 'Now thats the kind of first class service I expected when I signed my listing agreement.'
What it did have was 50 business cards on the kitchen counter of the listing agent as if to say "look at me." Side note on the business cards: When I walk into a house for a preview or a showing and I see piles and piles of business cards my first thought is "Man, this house has been shown a bunch and is still available, I wonder what's wrong with it." It could be a number of things, most likely starting with price - but that's for a different day.
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