What to Do When Your Real Estate Agent Is Not Doing Enough

Homes for Sale | Photo: Petr Kratochvil | PublicDomainPictures.net | Public Domain Image

Selling a home is not simple—that’s why real estate agents and other real estate professionals exist and make commissions off of home sales. In a slow economy, most real estate agents worked extra hard to promote and sell properties. If you listed your New York or New Jersey home during the past year or two, you might have noticed your real estate agent’s extra attention, especially if your home is extremely marketable.

In a hotter sales market or economy, real estate agents list, market and sell relatively quickly. While this means you should cooperate by having your house ready to show when you approach an agent to list it, your real estate agent has made a commitment to you to do her best to sell your home. If you do not feel that your real estate agent is doing what it takes to sell your home, here are some things to consider:

Selling a Home Takes Time

Even in the best of circumstances, it can take months or even years to sell a home. Many factors go in to a home sale including listing price and season (better weather brings more buyers). That said, your real estate agent should keep you up to date on the reasons your home is not selling, offering suggestions for improvement.

Advertising

Real estate advertising is undergoing a large transition from print to online. You’ll want your home to have its own Web site and your real estate agent should help you with this. Some agents list homes as their addresses, such as “123mockinbirdlane.com.” If the agent only lists the home on his agency’s Web site, you can always purchase a .com domain and have it forwarded to the real estate agent’s site. Some online sites even offer free advertising, so you can always do a bit of additional publicity there.

Just Ask

If you aren’t satisfied with your agent’s performance, outline specific improvements and simply ask if she can make them. Like all personal and business relationships, your agent will not know of your dissatisfaction until you tell her. If your agent was a bad choice, you can contact the agency or list it with a new agent elsewhere—but speak up first.

Real estate agents are under a great deal of pressure to sell from their agencies and from you and other home sellers. In a difficult economy, agents also face pressure of their own because they work on commission. Your real estate agent values your business, so communicate whenever possible, especially if you are unhappy with something.