Tomorrow I have an appointment to meet with a seller who called several days ago to come and talk about listing his home. When I found out today that he has also called several other Realtors for the infamous “interview”, I thought yet again, “Oh Mercy, Mercy!” Because of the way the market is here in Mason City and North Iowa, the competition appears to be even more brutal than normal. With that said, I envisioned past lost listings to competitors who have done the proverbial “snake dance” to get listings and then when they get them, many months and sometimes years later, the properties sell for far less than they would have if they had been listed at a fair market value from the inception.
One of the most recent episodes of poor judgement on the seller’s part was an estate of which I didn’t get the listing. I visited with the Executor for well over two hours about how to make the property marketable and the price at which it would likely sell. The most devastating part of this particular estate is that I personally knew for years and years, both the deceased wife and husband. The daughter who knew me as well, but lived very far away, seemed keen on my suggestions and said she would contact me when her and her husband would have the minor improvements completed.
Well, the rest of the story is, someone else in this community encouraged her to have other opinions of value and it was, in the end, listed by an agent that must have done a really good “snake dance”. When I saw what that very nice home in a very good district sold for, I was shocked and saddened. If indeed, deceased people do roll over in their graves, then those two decedents did! The truth sometimes hurts but I would rather tell it like it is rather than do a “snake dance”.
So, if you think someone is telling you something that is too good to be true, well it isn’t! It’s just a mirage.
