Comments on: Showing Afterglow

By: Rick Bengson

Rick Bengson — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:08:35 +0000

The Seller’s are really the one’s who want the feedback. After a showing, it is natural that they want to know what a Buyer thinks about their beloved home.
Having a system whereby they can login and see the feedback directly from the showing agent and not their own agent provides them with transparancy and control to the transaction. This way they do not doubt the actual feedback and can see it straight from the “horses mouth”. Also when the agent’s do not respond, the seller’s see their agent did their job and it was the listing agent who chose not to cooperate with feedback.
It’s also helpful for listing changes, price reductions, commission bonuses, etc.. to be able to email all the agents whom have shown a listing to their clients on that property of that listing change.
Granted these functions are not important to all agents, but they are to many of them in providing these services to their seller’s.

By: Melissa Lee

Melissa Lee — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 04:43:54 +0000

Thanks for this perspective on whether providing buyer feedback is working in our buyers’ best interest. I was actually just looking for some good feedback questions and came across your post. Good info and… truly I didn’t think you had a tone.

By: Paula Henry

Paula Henry — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:51:32 +0000

When I worked in Arizona and California, we almost never received feedback. Here, in Indiana, many companies use a showing service, I use Centralized showings. Our apointments are set by them and the feedback request is sent by email with a picture of the home and whatever questions the selling agent wants to ask.

This series has me reflecting about the questions I ask, but I do have to say,
when dealing with a bank on a short sale, the feedback is important.

If I am representing a buyer who has no interest in a home, based on certain conditions or price, I do answer the questions. If my clent has the least bit of interest, I do NOT answer pricing questions.

By: Bob

Bob — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 02:30:40 +0000

I’m curious as to how many listing agents ask for feedback.

By: Matthew Rathbun

Matthew Rathbun — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 23:36:16 +0000

Bob, I’m with you. I was giving options for those who wish to give feedback, regardless of recommendations to not do so.

If someone is going to give feedback, than I wanted to give ideas of I use to do to facilitate protecting both me and the client.

By: Bob

Bob — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 23:32:47 +0000

Let’s take a minute and look at some ideas that could help you after showing the property.

I fail to see where feed back has anything to do with my helping my buyer, unless it means that I turn the tables on the listing agent and get them to sell out their client. But if my client is interested, I’ve probably already made the first move anyway.

I do not respond to fax or email requests for feedback. i dont have time to burn on that activity which does me little, if any good.

The last question would read: “May I share your thoughts or my own about the property condition, staging and pricing with the Seller, should they request it?”

Again, why would I do this?

By: Matthew Rathbun

Matthew Rathbun — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 22:59:42 +0000

Marvin,

Nope, it wasn’t my intention to have a tone, at all. Unfortunately it’s true that many agents aren’t very good at listing property.

I am very open to critique, so long as it’s healthy and in the best interest of development.

I apologize for my tone in the post – it was more tongue and cheek than anything.

Regards…

By: Marvin Jensen

Marvin Jensen — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 22:49:12 +0000

Matthew,

My comments to you were based on the way your TONE came across in the post, regarding other agents lack of ability to list and sell. If that was not your intension, then I apologize.

However, if you are unwilling to receive criticism without calling the others’ critiques narcissistic, just beacuse you don’t agree, then I wonder about your effectiveness as a blogger or teacher.

Good luck to you in your future postings.

By: Matthew Rathbun

Matthew Rathbun — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 12:34:51 +0000

Marvin: Commenting on “My Opinion” was actually secondary to an e-mail I received from a friend at my market place, who asked me to expand on that issue and your comments. It wasn’t a personal slight, but an expansion on my opinion.

We’re both welcome to opposing opinions, but when you interject phrases such as “high horse” and other snarky comments, you strip away the ability of others to interact in a civilized learning environment.

I think that it’s great that after 20 some comments in two related posts and probably 10 emails off the blog, that you felt the need to interject a negative comment. The point of my posts were to stimulate dialog to cultivate an awareness that many other instructors have already been teaching for a year now. You can see that almost everyone else was working to that end.

You said that you felt that my basis was built on feeling that I was the only “good” agent. Not at all, but I have to say that commenting on someone else’s self righteousness, denotes an incredible level of narcissism all on its own.

So, I’ll choose to continue to use these posts as a learning tool and say this:

No, I absolutely do not think I am the only good agent, there may be one or two others out there

My attempt was to show a.) that the buyer’s opinion of a home is not yours to share without expressed permission of the opinion holder and only when they have full awareness of potential harm.

b.) There are other better ways to cultivate a good relationship with agents than selling out your clients.

c.) There is a level of enlightened self interest in not preparing the listing agent and seller to compete against your client, you or other listings you may have in your market place.

d.)No, you cannot divorce yourself from your agency relationship “after hours”, in most states and according to the COE you are obliged to agency relationships either ostensible or expressed 24/7 until termination or completion of the relationship.

I would recommend that if anyone desired to give their feedback, then email the Lister and expressly say “I cannot / will not share my client’s thoughts; however here’s what I thought could be done better”

These techniques and thoughts are derived from instructor schools and will be much more prevalent in the coming days. I know that some of you don’t like changes to the status quo.

Regardless of what I try to convey to folks, some people will still always prize their relationships with other agents over their client’s long term goals and needs. You may not think that you do – but what does the client think?

By: Matthew Rathbun

Matthew Rathbun — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 12:24:32 +0000

Matt: I think that the questions are rare in most markets. The feedback requests I’ve received over the years have almost always been 1. What did you think of the price 2. How did the house present 3. Are you planning a second showing 4. What can the Sellers do to make the house more appealing, etc… Looks like your local market has had some great training and guidance.

I think it’s great that there is a different culture in your market than in mine!