“Did you know that for every Buyer that purchases a home there is a Seller that has it listed with a REALTOR?”…sorry..have to disagree!

I also said those who say they won’t work with buyers becasue they are too much trouble. You wrote..”Property Is What You Sell”….well that’s not entirely true of most listers is it?

BB, there really not much point to this discussion is it? I mean you wrote ” had a choice, I’d much prefer to refer all buyers out and just concentrate on listings”…so you are dead smack in the demographic of agent that I said would have a problem grasping and adapting to this kind of data.

You will obviously continue with what works for you and as also stated, that is to be expected. No debate…of course I wish you well.

psst…everybody else….see what I mean?

As I said earlier, I am not here to convince or debate.

You are implying that agents that take listings are dinosaurs and that’s just not true. We’re REALTORs for Pete’s sake. Property is what we sell(although in reality we are selling ourselves) but anyway having inventory is very important.

Most “listers” that say they don’t work with buyers are just being truthful. It’s very difficult to work with more than a few buyers at a time. Working only with buyers is limiting unless of course you have agents working with or for you. I hand pick the buyers I do work with and refer the rest out for a 25% fee. However, if I had a choice, I’d much prefer to refer all buyers out and just concentrate on listings but in this market good saleable listings are hard to come by, at least in Poinciana.

The homebuyers who said that yard signs are menaingless stated what they felt. Not my numbers..it wa sin the survey. Like I said..it’s up to the reader to agree or disagree. I am not here to convince.

Some will read and as business people interpret the data and come to conclusions that they feel help their business. You obviously have your own conclusions. Fine by me. If it works in your business then who am I to say otherwise.

Some people in the Amish country are happy living without medical intervention. I would venture to say that many if not all of them are quite happy.

Personally I like the advancement of modern medicine. Nyquil is the bomb!

As for taking the plunge and getting a license…hey, somebody’s gotta take voer Fort Lauderdale..might as well be me!

It’s not a matter of it being a “typical lister” response or not it’s a matter of you using data related to buyers to discount working with sellers. The CAR report is buyer specific. My point is that for every buyer that purchases a home there is a seller that is listed. These sellers, by far, did not find their REALTOR(R) via the Internet. Print ads, post cards and the such DO work for sellers. I advertise in a local HOA monthly paper for Poinciana. The ad is specific to sellers and goes out to 15,000 homeowners once a month. I also do mailers to expired listings. Both of these things work and work well.

I agree completely that the Internet is where to be to attract buyers. It’s also a fact that Internet buyers are looking for listings. So wouldn’t it make sense to have listings?

And to say that yard signs won’t deliver business is just foolish. I sold 2 of my listings last month to buyers that called off the yard sign. Yard signs certainly won’t support my business they do however generate some business.

I also agree that many consumers are not happy with their REALTOR(R). I don’t see this as a new trend though. It’s always been that way. Unfortunately, there are many in our business that suck. And bad communication skill is probably the number one area where they suck the most.

I don’t agree at all that commissions are declining. In fact, in my market and price range, I know that to be an incorrect statement. Commissions are increasing.

Inventory is at all time highs but most of it is just taking up space. In my market there are about 1200 properties on the market. Half of those are grossly overpriced and another 10%-20% are “short sales” that aren’t really short sales. So if we get rid of those there’s really only about 400 homes that are saleable. That number my actually be too high.

The Internet is an awesome way to get business BUT it’s not the only way. The key is to find a niche and be diversified in the ways you attract customers within that niche.

By the way, why are you messing up a good thing by becoming a REALTOR(R)?

Here’s the rub. Let’s factor in all of the expireds, withdrawns, and cancelled listings and when it is all said and done let’s throw in days on market for a little flavor.

Most of the data that is coming out is showing a GROWING number of consumers being left unfulfilled by their listing agent.

yes, there will always be a role for some agent to list a house. However the compensation for that role and the “need” of that role is under attack. Too many agents look at today’s numbers and don’t react like true business professionals and see the trending data.

While some “heavy hitters” may be listers, we are seeing their volume trend downward. That can not be disputed. Their role is changing and the consumer is demanding that change despite the resistance from many old school agents.

Like I said in the article. I am not here to debate those who think otherwise. That’s fine if many want to hang on to their long held beliefs.

It’s the mavericks we are speaking to. The tech savvy, proactive go getter that wants to move 100 plus units per year snaring that 84%.

If someone wants to as you say “control” inventory have at it. To me, sitting idly by hoping someone comes by, hoping that some one calls, hoping that eventually 120 days or more down the road that the eventuality that the house will sell BEFORE it expires is like waiting for the ace on the river card.

I like to be a bit more aggressive at the table.

Now having said that my personal business is now about 50% buyers. But this is only because I don’t have an “in” to the REO market.

The heavy hitters in my market and I would venture to say most markets are listers. Controling the inventory (and commission) is still the place to be.

Also, remember when CAR reports 84% of folks start their search on the Internet they are referring to buyers NOT sellers. Sellers list with folks they know or have heard about. Rarely do they use the Internet to find an agent unless they are absentee sellers.