There is a fallacy in looking at the universe of Realtors out there if you are a home seller. Just because someone is #1 in sales in a city or area, doesn't mean they are right for YOU!! I am not making this up. I am just reporting what some home sellers have told me with regard to using Mr. or Ms. #1 in the past and why they won't use them again.
I don't deny that ultimately all home sellers want results and top dollar for their home. But they also want customer service. Some #1 agents are good at this, others are not. In firing their #1 agents they hired who didn't get the job done, this is what home sellers have told me they were lacking in:
* good communication skills. They didn't understand me.
* follow up. It was erratic at best and not timely.
* I felt I was lost with how big their business was. I could never reach the main Realtor, just assistants.
* What they promised was not delivered, which was getting regular showings through their marketing efforts. When open houses and Internet marketing didn't work they relied only on sign calls despite me asking what else could they do? They seemed to lack creativity.
* My house didn't seem expensive enough for them to bother with.
* They didn't readily have available to me lists of inspectors, house cleaners, repair people and such. I had to find all these people myself.
* They just seemed a little too arrogant and full of themselves since they had billboards with their pictures on it and such.
So, from the perspective of the smaller individual Realtor or team who is NOT #1 in a marketplace there is hope. Most of these errors on the part of the #1 person are due to inattention, disorganization, lack of attention to detail and poor customer service. Each home seller deserves a GREAT Realtor and I'm here to tell you there are a lot of them out there. Home sellers reinforce that by telling me you don't have to go with #1 all the time. Nothing wrong with #1 some of the time. But what is more important in anyone you choose to represent you is relationship, knowledge, integrity, communication, and service.
The first month after receiving my real estate license I had to select an agent to list and sell my mother-in-laws property (another state). I made the mistake of not going with the agent that I felt comfortable with but fell for the #1 speach. He was also referred to us (the others I just called). It was a nightmare. While I wouldn't rule out a top producer, I definetly would look harder at the customer service they provide.
Hi Gary,
Makes sense to me, but you know it's easy to find out who's #1, just ask them. We normally see about a dozen who routinely promote themselves that way.
I've used an analogy for quite some time, a famous hamburger place used to advertise how many gazillion burgers sold, right? But if I wanted the best burger in town, that wouldn't be my first choice.
Gary,
Being "No. 1" in any field is all relative. There could be real JERKS who are #1 for this or that measurement, but they may be piss poor at everything else. The more important things.
What matters anything in life and what we do for living is being No. 1 at Integrity, Honesty, and Humility.... and FAITH of course in treating everyone with kindness and dignity....
Being No. 1 dad to my Twins is my greatest challenge and reward. My extended family is No. 2. And helping people is No. 3 at being no. 1.
So says this Confucius.
Cheers, KIM.