Are heavily-advertised agents good agents ?
(1) It depends. If after an unbiased, direct interviews with most the clients of that agent in the last year or so, responded in saying that he/she is good, then that agent is good.
(2) Constant referrals given. If that agent constantly receiving referred clients from his/her previous clients, whether advertised, then that agent has to be good !
Some complaints about Seller Agents, from Sellers, after the listing is signed
(1) Do not hear from the agent again.
Some agents become too busy for his/her sellers after the listing is obtained. These are not responsible agents, and should be fired.
(2) No feedback.
Some agents have the wrong idea that once the house is listed on the market under the MLS system, the house will sell.
Once a seller has decided to sell the house, usually he/she is motivated. The seller would try to prepare the house for the showing. And if after doing all this, and the seller does not hear from his/her agent see if the buyer is interested in the house, the agent is not even providing the most basic and yet very important service to the seller.
(3) Not informing the seller.
During the few months when the house is for sale, some sellers receive no information as to which similar houses are sold, or for how much.
(4) No market update
Some agents make no good use of data available. The local real estate boards usually provide the statistics as to how many similar houses are available for sale in the same neighborhood. What are the sold prices, or asking prices. How many of them did not sell after a certain time.
(5) Asking for price reduction too soon.
Some seller are disillusioned by their own agents, requesting a price reduction in a short time. They feel that the agents have not tried hard enough.
(6) Advertise for himself/herself (the agents), but not the house.
Some sellers feel that when they have listed with their agents, from the advertising, the agents put themselves in priority before their houses.
(7) Not being informed fully on the Listing Agreement.
A common complaint about their agents is that the sellers found out later that they are listed with the agent for too long. Some seller may have trusted the agents too much without reading all the important points on the contract before signing the document.
(8) Too lazy
It goes back to the first complaint of “never see the agent again !” after the listing is signed. The sellers feel nothing was done for them, and at the same time, the contract is in effect, and they cannot get out of it.
Important: Certain things can be done BEFORE the listing is signed. See “Questions To Ask An Agent When Selling” in this website. Or, if the complaint is for AFTER the listing is signed, see under “Government Regulatory Agencies”, and check if something can be done about it.