How To Fire Your Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Agent In Plain English
May 29, 2008
Have you ever seen those great videos from Common Craft. You know…the videos with the stick figures and animation that seems so very simple but is actually very tough? Well they do a series of videos about doing new things in plain English. They’re great!
Here’s one that tells you how to use a blog. It’s called “Blogs In Plain English“.
Now that you understand what Commoncraft is all about, let’s talk about “Firing Your Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Agent In Plain English”.
So you had dreams about selling your house and raking in a pile of cash, or you got in a bind and needed to sell quickly. You picked up the phone called a real estate agent, he or she came over, said a bunch of flowery feel good stuff and BAM!…before you knew it they were out the door with a listing agreement in hand.
Do you know that for most real estate agents as far as they are concerned that WAS the sale? Do you know for most real estate agents they are taught that getting you to sign on the line which is dotted is the triumph? I can tell you that most agents are absolutely pumped when they get a listing because for the most part they don’t have to do anything…nothing!
Somebody comes and puts a sign in the yard, they have an assistant enter some data in a computer for about 10 minutes and then it’s off to find the next sucker to sign up. And oh yeah, that will cost you 5% or more of the selling price of your home! That’s a great job and it worked for a while. Now the market is different and many agents don’t know what to do.
I have a question for you sellers out there. When was the last time you have even seen your real estate agent? When is the last time you had an offer, if you have even had an offer?
Well selling a home in this market and in this environment requires a lot more skill than sticking a sign in the ground. It requires a marketing plan and exposure for your Fort Lauderdale real estate home or condo.
If your house is just sitting there you may need to fire your agent and get one that will actually WORK to sell your home. So how do you fire that slouch of an agent?
Here are 5 steps you can take:
1. Talk to your Lawyer:
Understand that I am not a lawyer and I am not giving you legal advice. If need be your first call should be to your attorney. Send him a copy of your listing agreement and see what he has to say. The money it costs to have him review it is money well spent. You have to wonder why most sellers don’t have an attorney review a listing agreement BEFORE they decide to sign a contract to sell their Fort Lauderdale real estate home or condo with any specific agent.
First make sure you can even fire he or she. A lot of agents are very shrewd. That listing you signed may contain all kinds of nasty clauses obligating you to the agent or obligating you to pay the agent even if YOU or SOMEONE else sells the property.
How’s that for customer appreciation. See why most agents consider getting you to list with them as their “sale”. Many feel they get paid no matter what you do and look at the transaction as a when, not an if. Find out if you can even cancel the contract that you entered into.
By the way, once you tell most agents why you are calling …good luck getting them back on the phone.
2. Tell The Agent They’re Fired!
You watched the Apprentice with Donald Trump. Those words “The Donald” utters are so freeing. You’re Fired! I read an article recently about how a real estate agent should be marketing a home and how they can learn a lot from watching The Apprentice. It was amazing to me how few agents actually WORK a deal. It’s astounding how simple business practices are not found in many agents. Check out this Real Estate Radio USA article and see if your agent is doing this to sell your Fort Lauderdale real estate home or condo. If not, then say the words..You’re Fired!
3. Tell The Agent To Terminate The Listing:
Tell..don’t ask..tell the agent to terminate the listing and to send you written confirmation. Then tell him to come get the sign out of your yard (some agents leave the sign in the ground to obtain leads to show OTHER properties…by the way did you know that is one of the main objectives of an open house?)
4. Call The Broker: The Broker is the entity that actually OWNS the listing, not the agent. If you are not getting through to the agent call his broker and demand a cancellation of the listing. Most reputable brokers who want to maintain good community relations will cancel a listing if the seller insists.
5. Do What You Have To Do: If you don’t get a timely resolve, call your attorney back and let the dogs out. Sometimes a letter from an attorney or a call to the local Board of Realtors or state regulatory agency. Sometimes that’s enough to get a release.
Selling your Fort Lauderdale real estate home or condo requires a well conceived and professionally executed marketing campaign and an agent who is willing to roll up their sleeves and actually work to sell your home.
This market is not for those who lack drive and ambition. If you are stuck with an agent who is not “working” to sell your property then you may need to make a move.
In plain English you need an agent who is diligently working on your behalf to sell your Fort Lauderdale real estate home or condo in a timely manner utilizing proven business strategies coupled with today’s modern technologies. If they are not doing this then perhaps it’s time for a change.
There are many fine agents out there who will actually work to EARN their commission. It’s up to you as a seller to make sure that their effort justifies such a commission.
Here some other posts you may find interesting...
Fort Lauderdale Real Estate
Fort Lauderdale Homes And Condos For Sale
If you are interested in learning more about buying a home or condo in Fort Lauderdale or anywhere in South Florida; or if you need any information about the Fort Lauderdale real estate market, please feel free to contact me and it would be my pleasure to assist you.You can contact me at the number shown below or please feel free to contact me by the form below and I, or one of my assistants, will be sure to get right back to you within a few hours, if not sooner.
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Robin Sing-Cunningham
robins@robinashley.com
Access USA Realty
Local Fort Lauderdale | South Florida : 954-709-7461
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