When it comes time to buy or sell a house, the term “real estate agent” transforms from a mere job description to a very complicated relationship full of psychological and emotional weight. Eric Benjamin with Keller Williams in Sandy Springs describes the agent's role as “part psychic, part counselor, part psychologist, part therapist.”
In the interest of finding out what makes agents tick, what drives them crazy and how both buyers and sellers can reduce the potential for stress and heartache, we sampled some metro Atlanta real estate agents for an inside track on their profession.
In one form or another, it all comes down to unrealistic expectations.
“Probably one of the most annoying things is people who lie on the descriptions of property in the Multiple Listing Service, where they call it a four bedroom and it’s really a three bedroom with an office," said Benjamin. "Or say ‘private backyard,’ because it backs up to power lines. Don’t try to turn a liability into an asset."
When it comes to buyers, a common complaint among agents are house hunters determined to see every house on the market before they choose one.
Benjamin once had a buyer who looked at more than 200 properties in far-flung parts of the metro area from Powder Springs to Tucker.
“I had one first-time home buyer who said, ‘I’m not going to make a decision until I see 100 homes,’” recalled Julie Porter with Roswell’s Solid Source Realty.
Potential buyers who pull up carpet to check hardwoods or peel off paint and wallpaper in vacant properties irritates Julie Sadlier with RE/MAX Metro Atlanta Cityside.
"Buyers should show respect for the different properties they go in to see," she said. “Even if it’s in rough shape, that always irks me.”
Another common complaint is clients who think they know more about real estate than their agents. Even worse, according to Bee Nguyen with Sanctuary Real Estate in Inman Park, is clients who think their parents do.
“With the amount of television shows and Internet access a lot of people feel they are an expert. But my job is to say ‘Hey, I’m in the trenches on a daily basis,’” said Michael Neville of Midtown’s Keller Williams.
Not surprisingly all real estate agents unanimously agreed that the golden rule for sellers is to price their homes accordingly. It is a buyer’s market, they warn.
"[Sellers] need to understand that they are competing with people who have to sell," said Chereda Miller with Smyrna's Miller Realty. She said the biggest myth in the industry is that sellers can drop their prices later in the game if they price it too high to start.
“The average sale price is statistically about 13-15 percent lower when you do price reductions and stay on the market for an average of over 120 days,” said Neville.
When getting your home ready to sell, there are certain basics, real estate agents advise, that need to be covered. The home must be immaculate. “You have to have those lights on, you have to have those windows clean. The whole house has got to sparkle,” said Sadlier. “If you have pets you need your furniture steam cleaned,” said Neville. “That’s the hardest thing to sell with people living at home, is pet smell.” And the home has to be scrubbed of personal details and mementoes too. Landscaping is also key. Neville even recommends a light color palate for exterior landscaping, keeping flowers in the pink and yellow range.
Nguyen advised that if sellers stage their homes that they make it better rather than worse. “There are a lot of home stagers out there who create a kind of cheesy home staging,” said Nguyen. Fake plants, frame-less air mattresses in the bedroom, wine glasses with fake wine and plastic fruit are all on Nguyen’s list of the kind of staging that creates “a negative vibe.”
If there is one thing real estate agents are unequivocal on it’s the necessity of sellers not being around when real estate agents are showing their home.
“Being out of sight and out of mind is the best place [sellers] can be to get the house sold,” said Miller.
And most of all, agents said, clients should remember that the agent is on their side, despite the perception that they are just in it for the money. Agents are quick to point out that the commission on a house that sells for $200,000 versus $250,000 is relatively small. More important for most agents is finding homes their buyers love.
“The ultimate goal for me is for the deal to happen,” said Miller.
SIDEBAR:
Quick sale tips
Price accordingly.
“People talk about what a horrible market it is; I’ve been in four multiple offer situations this year. If your house is priced right the buyers know it and they will jump on it,” said Eric Benjamin with Keller Williams.
Condition is key.
Your house will be competitive if trim and paint are fresh. A good power washing outside is also a good idea, advised RE/MAX’s Julie Sadlier.
Stage with care.
If you use a home stager, make sure you see examples of their work before you hire them. You don’t want the kind of details that make your home less appealing. If the home is vacant, staging is key to give buyers a sense of what will fit in each room, said Sadlier.
Make it easy on your agent.
“People who put things in the system like no sign, no lock box, appointment only, you’re eliminating 70 percent of the buyer pool,” said Keller Williams’ Michael Neville.
Pictures sell.
“Everyone starts their search on the Internet. And if you look at a property and their pictures are poor, people will skip over them,” said Sanctuary agent Bee Nguyen. Julie Porter with Solid Source advised homeowners to consider a virtual tour for an even more comprehensive view of your home.
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