0900 Thursday morning listen close (my realtor saga)

[marine]

You'll hear me pull a Donny Trump on my realtor:

YOU'RE FIRED!

As some of you may remember the disgusting listing my realtor put together for me and her inadequate job, well... I took the advice and had a heart to heart with her 3 weeks ago and told her exactly what she had done wrong and why I was upset.
We agreed that I would give her a free pass and let her continue to list me if she gave me a bit more attention and tried to unf*ck things.

Apparently I had that conversation with a ghost. Cuz aint nothing happened!

:nono:

So I tell her I want an open house that she claimed she would do the first weekend we listed. 2 weeks after I ask she has one. Wife and I spend 2 days cleaning and the morning of it baking apple pies and cookies and all that crap.
Guess how many show up?
zip, nada, zilch.
2 weeks of build up and nothing.
A same style house higher priced down the block had an open house too, 25-30 people arrived!
I tried to figure out why, and I did. Idiot didn't tell anyone the address of my HOUSE!
So then she and I agree to lower the price $5k. I give it to her in writing. Next day I look at the ad -
105K lower. not 5k, 105 k.
I shot her an email and told her to recheck her numbers as they are grossly wrong.
6 days go by and no change.
So my mom called the realtor's office and said she saw it online and wanted to buy it sight unseen as the price was such a deal.
She asked why it was so low compared to others, the agent on the phone said "oh, it's probably in foreclosure"

I got on the phone with my idiot and let her know how disappointed I was.
She then called me back 10 minutes later and CRIED on the phone! She CRIED!
she cried about how I intimidate her, she cried about how much she loves my kids (she has seen them for 10 whole minutes - i wont expose my kids to that stupidity out of fear it might be contagious), she cried about how pretty my wife is.
anything but talk about how to fix the problems.

So at 9am tomorrow I get to meet the broker face to face and terminate this puppy. Should be pretty open and shut, correct?


All I am asking for is a mutual agreement that this relationship is not working and to agree to terminate the listing within the next 3 days.

Can the dirtbag try to bill me for the 30 days they (tried)to list it?

I'm prepared to file a grievance with the Realtor's Association out here if need be - will that do anything for me?

 

[Mjolnir]

not sure about laws in your area, but out here if i get a listing, the only way seller pays is when the deal closes, then the broker gets whatever % is stated in contract.
she obviuosly doesn't care about her job, i'm betting if you speak to the broker and tell them about your problems they will have you sign the listing cancellation paperwork.
i dont see how you could be responsible for any cost's.
franky wright seems to be very experienced, maybe ask him.
i would be happy to look at your contract and give an opinion.
gl

 

[AR182]

marine....

i'm surprised you didn't get rid of her earlier...

i could have told you nothing would have changed....she is working to your sympathies....

a few years ago i worked with an agent on a few deals (over 2 years)...but as time went on i noticed him forgetting things....ie....to put a sign out in front of a property i listed....i asked him what was happening...& he told me if you don't like what i'm doing fire me....so i said ok you're fired...he couldn't believe it..he was speechless & kept calling me every day for a week after...i told him i made the decision & will stick to it...

the point that i'm making is that people put too much emotion into these real estate dealings instead of treating it as a business decision.....

get rid of her asap & tell her the next tieme she cries to you....you have your own problems & that she should cry to her husband...

again i'll repeat....this is business...

also from my experience open houses seldom work....they're more beneficial to the agent than to the family listing the property....

advertising in the mls & agressive advertising in newspapers should do the trick.....

good luck.

 

[marine]

yea, I know, I was "" close to dumping her off earlier, but in fairness I had to address my complaints to her and give her at least a chance to correct them.
Curious question here, after I had to jump up and down and have a f*cking stroke to get her to list my prop on realtor.com she did... and then she sat there and told me that it cost them $1k to put a picture of my house on realtor.com

They have other listings in their office on realtor.com and they had pics up... I have got to believe they get a package deal or something and can list unlimited houses for XXX dollars. correct?

please let me know because I want to jump up and scream BS when she tries that line on me again tomorrow.

as for crying to her husband... that is the biggest problem I am anticipating. Her husband is the Broker!

And I agree with the business aspect. BUT, if I signed up with her, got her to put me on MRIS and crap for 3 weeks and then pulled it.. would that appear ethical? I just got the exposure for the house and then dumped her and can do a FSBO on my own because now I got free advertising on the house.

oh, and my counter statement to her wails was:
Look, if I want to hear how great my family is I can stand in front of a mirror and say it myself and know I can believe it. If I want the biggest financial investment of my life taken care of I go to a real estate agent.

 

[loungelizard]

Once your listing is in the local boards MLS it costs nothing to go onto realtor.com, nothing. Realtor.com picks up their listings i think every monday from mls boards across the country.
The only way it could cost, was if she did what is called a "virtual tour" listing, which in no way would cost near a thousand bucks

good luck

ll

 

[kneifl]

advertising in the mls & agressive advertising in newspapers should do the trick.....

:yup :yup Well said...

Agree completely...

kneifl

 

[Franky Wright]

Marine,
I had a computer malfunction, or I would have responded to you earlier :scared :mj13:

Your response to this was quite appropriate. In fact, as good as your response is, her's is equally bad :nono:
She was not only a misrepresentation of what services she was to render, but after you called her on some of it, she still did not perform. Your contract should be null and void, if thats what you prefer.

By the way, is this the house you are moving from to Wisconsin, or in this state already? I know many brokers in this state, and a fair number out of state if you would like a referal for someone decent. If you decide to market it yourself, you NEED to be there. And three weeks on the MLS, and then off of it is not going to help you like you might think. Sorry Im coming into this late, but like I said, these stupid electronic boxes are always giving me trouble..........

GL,
Franky

MJolnir,
Thanks for the nice words by the way

 

[Agent 0659]

Franky, try upgrading from a Commodore 64 to a 128. It really helped me!!

 

[marine]

Took all of 2 minutes this morning. Walked in, sat down, the agent was there and said the broker said she could terminate it herself. I think she knows she boned it up and doesn't want it on official record and would rather just rip the agreement and walk away rather than deal with me anymore.


Thanks franky, I think you might have misunderstood me. I am not marketing myself.. I was posing the ethical question of "does voiding the listing agreement at this stage make it look like I am trying to avoid commission fees but still pick up the initial exposure"

This is my house in MD. I got a new agent yesterday. Had about 7 interviews. Definite Type A personality and strong record and exposure. Exactly the type of person I want to be representing me.
He sat down with the wife and I and spent almost 2 hours just talking with us about things related to the sale and possible outcomes and things to do. Seriously night and day difference between him and the dummy I had.

I've got an agent lined up in WI (at least I have been talking with one thru email) but the purchase time frame is still a ways off and I haven't committed to anything yet.
You know anyone in Kenosha area? Or perhaps if I dropped you their name and company name you could give some insight?
no complaints so far with the person, but, its just been initial contact and preliminaries though.
get my email from jack, or I can get yours.

 

[marine]

Once your listing is in the local boards MLS it costs nothing to go onto realtor.com, nothing. Realtor.com picks up their listings i think every monday from mls boards across the country.
The only way it could cost, was if she did what is called a "virtual tour" listing, which in no way would cost near a thousand bucks

good luck

ll

funny you mention that... the "vritual tour" is/was a part of the listing agreement. I think her definition of "virtual tour" is to look at a still picture and then imagine yourself walking thru the room.

 

[marine]

Last thing...
When we ended it today, I just had to write down on a sheet of blank paper that I wanted the agreement null and void on 20 April 2006 and then signed it.

Is it legit?

This agent is soooooooooooooo dumb, she argued with me for a full minute that today was not the 20th but the 19th.
Yes, there was a calendar on the wall next to her.
-it's the 19th
-no its the 20th today
-no its the 19th
-well the calendar says its the 20th
-no, the 20th is tomorrow.
-no yesterday was the 19th, today is the 20th
-no, tomorrow is the 20th.
-Lady, the 22nd is my birthday, and its on saturday. do the math. and you wonder why I am signing this paper today?

I swear folks, you can't make this stuff up.

 

[Franky Wright]

Marine,
Sounds good. Your out of it, and now onward. I will check my list of the ones I have met personally. I used to do alot more of the Realtors conventions a few years ago, but the good agents are still around. I will find you a name or two. Hopefully we can get you down for a Badger game.

Agent,
I like my commodore 64, whats wrong with that :shrug: By the way, are we on Augusta yet :mj07:

Franky