Atlanta Real Estate | Atlanta Housing News for Real Estate

"Twinkies are  really a white meat!" Some people believe what hey want to believe. Because I am buying a home I am entitled to this...this is what I want!  The seller should have known I wanted a warranty and I am not closing until I get one.  There are always buyers, agents and brokers in real estate that when you try to explain something to them, their pat answer is..."Look, I've been byuying and selling real estate before you were born...that is not how you do it, and that is not what the contract really means!"  Even if they are totally wrong, they will never admit it.  It is tantamount to having a millstone around your neck trying to get the deal to closing.  In this current market it is like walking on eggshells with some of these agents.  You feel like an enabler doing anything they ask just so they will get to closing.  Agent and buyers like this...do not negotiate, they just take hostages.  They take advantage of the situation, like a child prone to tantrums.  The louder they yell, until all their demands are met.  Even if you have the closing attorney explain it to the situation or the contract...agents like this believe they alone have the correct solution.  They can even hold their breath until they get what they want.  It is like dealing with a one track mind, that's derailed.  Sometimes revenge is sweet, when their own greed does them in.  I remember an instance where everyone was held hostage by one particular agent.  After a long period...after the closing...they called up demanding where is the one year termite bond.  I brought their attention to the fact that the contract verbiage they chose was seller to convey a transferable treatment repair bond without cost to buyer.  I told them that the contract was fulfilled, but that the bond expired 2 days later.  Too bad you were not clever enough to know how to write it up.  Some agents are just better at doing things right in a professional manner.  All parties involved in the contract benefit from it.  If you do not understand something or verbiage ask a broker, ask the other agent, ask a real estate closing attorney, but don't just fake it. 

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There is a term in real estate that is called "Seeding!"  It is an attempt to make you believe that in a new homes subdivision, a lot of homes are already "UNDER CONTRACT!" when they are NOT!  It refers to when you drive into a new homes subdivision and you see quite a few under contract signs on all the new construction or vacant lots.  Reality is quite different.  If you go to the visitor centers or new homes sales center you sometimes see a large subdivision plat divided into numbered lots.  On the lots a green dot or pin means it is still available, a yellow dot or pin means under contract and a red dot means it is sold. 

The only problem is that you go back to a subdivision a few months later and there is still a lot of inventory available.  You may take it personally and think that you are losing your mind, you are not.  But what is happening?  Well you are being deceived.  Sometimes there are no homes that are under contract.  The marketing effort is deceptive in nature that wants you to believe that every one else sees the value, and they purchased already.  A few months ago in the Atlanta area I went into a new homes community.  I was very impressed with the product.  I then approached the onsite agent and asked them about how business was!  The onsite new homes agent told me it was "red hot!"  I was informed that 6 homes were sold that week  alone.  The wind was out of my sails.  However, yesterday I popped into the same subdivision again.  I was shocked to see all the homes were available, that another one was for sale or rent.   This was the onsite agents personal home. Only one home in the subdivision was occupied.   And as I mentioned this to another agent I work with, he advised me the other home that is occupied was a rental.  The builder is trying to rent out the inventory that is not selling.  So this is a point of reflection.

How many persons actually buy a home when they are deceived like this?  Caveat emptor!  Buyer beware! Person that buy a home without an experienced buyers agent representing them are easily suckered into buying a home.  Their own greed will do them in.  They can listen the the onsite agent (who by law can never represent them).  In a worse case scenario ... theoretically they may be the only owner in a half finished subdivision and lose their entire investment.  This is a scary scenario for a home owner, but worse for one that is represented by a buyers agent that has little or no experience in changing markets.  What if you sell a home to a buyer,a nd they turn out to be the only homeowner in the neighborhood?  How could you defend your actions if you have a signed buyers agency, but never actually did any research that would protect your client?   These are not isolated incidents.  I visited three new homes subdivisions today, where I realized construction has stopped, the fake "under contract signs" are now all showing availabel, and not one home is sold.  A scary scenario!

In changing times, builders become desperate...creative marketing may move into a range that really is fraudulant.  My advice to your..."Look before you leap!"

I thought I would delve into the reality of dealing with a really big agent in todays real estate market!  My thoughts?  Start running to the next listing!  Don't rush to do business with them before dotting your "i's" and crossing your "t's!"  Leave outs in the contract.  Have contingencies in the contract tied to performance!  Utilities must be on for inspection...etc!  Cover yourself well! Spellit out in the contract what happens if this action is not performed!

The profile is the agent that boasts they are carrying in excess of 40 listings.  The problems is that with less sales, they are not being serviced.  So now you write an offer, and can you fax it to another location, I'm at the beach!  24 hours go by,and you finally receive a call from them, I never received that contract, did you send it? Oh you did!  Well, I may have given your the wrong number try this number...XXX-XXX-1234.  Meanwhile your clients think you are asleep at the wheel! You get the deal worked out, and all is good until the day of your inspection, they are supposed to have hard copies waiting for you at the home, but they are not there.  They never got around to it, because they were late getting in after golf last night, and after all they are really too busy carrying 40 listings.  Oh, and by the way the utilities are off, because the listing agent with the 40 homes forgot to tell the homeowner to leave them on!   ( This is a great item to have in the contract special stipulations..if utilities are not on at designated inspection time, seller to pay  for re-inspection fees, and inspection period will be extended to   XYZ!)

It is not my problem that they are too busy, and can't afford to pay staff to do it for them.  If you can't service the listing, don't take it!  Be an adult!  Because I refuse to do your work for you driving to your office for a 3rd time because you are too busy with the 40 listings you can not service while you are at the beach or on the golf course.  Oh and by they way, if the listing agent with the 40 homes says can we handle it at closing?  I really wish I could say  "What closing?  I've advised my people to walk from the deal... on the grounds of X, Y, and Z!You are obviously too busy to work this deal the way it should be worked! It is only going to get worse!"

In situations like this have your broker contact their broker.  Do not do the work for them!  Document your actions, save emails, and print them off!  The market is tough enough that to put up with persons that are totally unprofessional, and users!

Home not selling?  No Surprise to other Agents! They know your agent is a sleep at the wheel!  Old photos, poor photos, no photos in the MLS!  No comments to embellish the sale of your home!  Wow!  Whom have your hired?  It is no surprise to other agents when a home is not selling.  It is so poorly represented in the MLS who would want to come by your home and see it?

When your home is listed and is just sitting on the market because it is not marketed correctly....Did you know it is unethical for another agent to contact you and tell you the mistakes your listing agent is making?  But Hey it is your dollar, and your home Mr or MS Seller.  Other home sellers would insist upon some accountability of their agent.

This  MLS Photo has a date picture of last April 6,2006  Expired!  By the way re-listed again with the same old photos!  Recycle those old digital photos is a real time saver for agents!

Just went through the trouble of listing your home again?  Why is your agent using old  photos with the old year old dates in them?  What's the point?

Your agent didn't even have time to get out of the car to take the photo of the front of your home?  The photo that will appear on every agent and brokers site in your town, because we share listings now through broker reciprocity?  Drive by photo shoots? Are you paying this person?

Your high end home is now on the market for over a month, and there are no listing photos online!  Mr or MS Seller, do you realize that over 85% of all homes are sold by their online presence?  Al the homes except yours. Homes without photos the days are skipped over.

What is your agent advertising about your home?  "Motivated Seller bring all offers. Owner is in process of moving out & making repairs."

On a year old listing that recently expired...." HOME SHOWS GREAT, WONT LAST!  BETTER HURRY!" 

Is your home really worth your asking price with a photo like this?  Maybe the agent was still talking on the phone when they snapped this picture. 

My favorite are the sideway photos! Everyone loves to guess what they are looking at for 15 minutes!

Real estate by nature involves marketing yourself, and your products or listings to the public.  That marketing leads to future business and closed sales.  Over the years the nature of the media that we used has started to shift from print medias, flyers, post cards, classified ads, billboards, TV, radio ads, real estate magazines, drip marketing and finally to the Internet. 

1. Where do you see you greatest return in marketing dollar spent?
2. What percentage of marketing dollar is this medium?
3. Does the marketing cost justify the expense?
4. Can you sustain the profit stream?
5. Can you target market an intended viewers?

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