3 Home Owner Mistakes Most Hated by Real Estate Agents

Selling a home is a stressful time in peoples’ lives, whether they have a real estate agent at their disposal or not. In cases they do, it’s common for sellers to think they’re helping an agent out when in reality they’re actually hurting the process. To their credit however, who could possibly know the best features of the house than someone who’s lived in it for many years? While this may be technically true, it’s important to make sure that your clients know early in the partnership that their actions can either help you sell their home or make it more challenging.

Here are few things that many home sellers do (often without realizing the negative impact) that all real estate agents hate.

1. Stick Around for the Open House or Showing

Some clients may think that sticking around for a showing or open house will be a good chance to meet the people who are potentially going to buy their home. This behavior should be deterred at all costs. Even though they make think it is an opportunity to field any questions about any of the issues with the home — they are, in fact, being a third wheel. The undesired chaperone.

Be sure to tell your clients that you know what you’re doing and that you don’t need their help to sell the home. Any “insider” secrets, like the fact the orange shag carpet was just cleaned is likely not going to have any effect on the decision-making process of the buyer. While open houses do present some potential security risks, your job as the agent is to work the crowd, not babysit the owner.

2. Boasting about Expensive Features

Nobody likes someone who is always bragging about themselves. This doesn’t change just because you are a real estate agent. Upgrades in the home aren’t always huge draws for buyers. Obviously, a brand-new washer and dryer set is going to be more appealing than a worn-out pair of machines from the ‘80s. However, not everything they consider an upgrade is going to be viewed positively by everyone who checks the house out.

For example, spending thousands of dollars lining every room with plush carpeting isn’t going to matter to the many people who want hardwood flooring.

3. Not Following Through on Repairs

If you know that your client’s house needs some professional repairs, you should instruct them to handle it before putting your house on the market. For example, a seller will say that they have plans to repair the air conditioner and heating units and you tell a prospective buyer that the heater and air-conditioner are going to be repaired — the buyer now expects it to be done. Now, as the real estate agent, it is your job to deal with the discrepancy between your client and the potential buyer.

Implementing a CRM for real estate at your practice can help you keep tabs on clients and prospective buyers, which can help eliminate the above situation. CRM technology can automate the processes which consume the most amount of time and help you keep track of seller wishes and deal breakers to prevent any of these hiccups!

Being a real estate agent is a wonderful job with great opportunities to make money and have fun while doing it. That doesn’t mean that every aspect is perfect though. Keep a dialogue open about what you expect from your clients and what they should expect from you!