Tampa Real Estate Blog

Tampa, FL - All Realtors are different. There are plenty of good ones - those who conscientiously and EFFECTIVELY work for their clients and customers. But beware, there are also plenty of bad ones!

Bad Realtors are those who don't return phone calls. There are many of these. Some actually don't return calls in a timely manner from other agents who want to show the property they have listed for sale. I may be wrong, but I think it's probably going to be difficult to sell a place when the listing agent doesn't return calls to those who might want to buy it.

That's an obvious problem that is far more prevelant than you might think. Now for the not-so-obvious... There are agents who take only one photo of a property and think this will help bring qualified buyers to the property - thlnk again! Then, there are agents who actually take photos that are so poor, they make a perfectly good property look terrible... Not a great way to sell anything!

Photos aside, here's a more serious problem... Watch out for agents who 'high-ball' you to get your listing, and will then do nothing to sell your property until you lower the price. What we're talking about here is an agent who says they can sell your home for a much higher price than other Realtors may have suggested. Every situation is different, and perhaps they can, but my experience says most agents aren't talented enough when it comes to effective, value-building, marketing. So, the likelihood that they can fetch a much higher price than the market will bear is slim. In fact, in a declining market such as today's, many agents have trouble selling a home for its just and proper value, and may resort to lowering the price even further to make a sale. What 'high-balling' agents are really doing is telling you what you want to hear - that your property is worth more than you thought - so that you will list the property for sale with them. Then, when nothing happens, they will have you lower the price to a more reasonable level and hope they can create some activity. Sometimes they can and sometimes they can't, as the initial interest in the property has now faded from the forefront of the marketplace. What's worse, you will have lost several months, if not longer, of valuable selling time and, of course, mortgage, tax, and insurance payments.

When it comes to choosing a real estate brokerage or agent to do business with... It's your choice.  Make it a wise one!

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Tampa - Recently, while showing a home to a client she thought was a possible buyer, a REALTOR^® was attacked by the client.  This client was a woman!  There was a gun involved and although the REALTOR is okay, all-in-all, it wasn't a pretty picture.

Even with the precautions most REALTOR'S take to protect themselves, these things happen.  As such, imagine how much easier it would be for attacks like this one, or worse, to happen to unsuspecting homeowners trying to sell their homes by themselves - FSBO's (For Sale By Owners).

The truth is, it would be very easy for an eager homeowner, especially one feeling some pressure to sell, to open his or her front door to someone they otherwise would never allow into their home.  Better judgement can be compromised by one's zeal to make a sale.  In fact, many sellers never even consider safety as a possible issue when trying to sell their home.  They, like most good people, assume the best about everyone else.  If only the rest of the world lived up to their expectations.

This, among many, is a good reason to work with a good REALTOR when selling your home.

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