Donna Galinsky isn't the only one.
Donna's post about homes that are under marketed or poorly listed is something I've spoken about before with clients, agents, and brokers. I see it happen too. Seems we all see them from time to time. What many non-Realtors® don't know is that the Realtor® Code Of Ethics prevents us from telling that homeowner what we think or violating the client-agent relationship in any way (this is why no agents knock on your door when the sign goes up in your front yard and why all those postcards you get in the mail mention that they are not a solicitation of business if you are currently working with an agent).
I encourage you to visit Donna's original post and read through the comments, but I thought I'd leave mine here for you to read as part of the re-blog:
Donna - This has to be my biggest gripe with the Code Of Ethics. I know the theory of the Code Of Ethics and why it exists and agree with most of its tenets, but I often feel that it winds up protecting Realtors® who aren't really taking great care of their clients. Now of course, without the code, we'd have a flurry of people who use it to destroy their competition, right or wrong, with tactics that that would be more than questionable, so I see a need for it. But I can't help but wonder what would happen if we were allowed to step in and tell a homeowner how they're not getting what they could be.
Based on some of the things I've seen, I can imagine my business would certainly grow if I could show those sellers the difference between me and their agent. It's frustrating to say the least. I often want to tell them and then tell them of 4 or 5 agents I would trust to do better - since I wouldn't want to be seen as just doing it to generate business for myself. I'd rather someone else had the business and did it right, than someone do it poorly.
Perhaps I should give up my license and build a business around this fact. Without a license (and membership in NAR) the Code Of Ethics would no longer apply to me. Of course, then I wouldn't be doing what I love, so that wouldn't work out well. Perhaps we need an independent third party business to do this for us...a listing auditor basically. That idea fails as well though, because in an attempt to monetize that business one of two things would happen - a) the game of favorites or b) an exorbitant referral fee or sale of leads back to us.
Oh well, for now the status quo will remain.
Have you ever wanted to contact a homeseller and say "Do you really know what your Agent is (or isn't) doing to market your home?"
I so want to do that right now. Just a shory anonymous note (don't want to get fined or anything).
Just want to say...
Dear Homeowner..
I just saw that you listed your house for sale. You have a lovely sign on your front lawn. A customer of mine saw your home on ListingBook the other day and had some questions.
She wanted to know the condition - Your agent only has 5 old photos of the outside of the house.
She asked about the kitchen and baths - I don't know, no pictures.
She asked when she could see it - Again, no idea says no showings until after open house.
She asked when the Open House was - I said, No idea, it is not on the listing.I did call your agent, left her 2 voice mails, maybe when you speak with her you can ask her to return her phone calls.
Or maybe she is just keeping it quiet so she can sell it herself.
Want to wish you luck with your sale, and when you expire and are ready to really sell it - I'll be in touch!!
Signed
AnonymousAgents who do things like this frustrate me. She is not a new agent, but she does this on ALL her listings. Guess she just wants to get both sides of everything. She has incomplete/incorrect listings, and if you do want to show one of her properties she makes you jump through hoops to do it.
She is the opposite of everything that I try to be and it just gets me angry when people list with people like her.
I put up the maximum number of pictures on MLS
I make sure to have complete ACCURATE information
Homes are displayed throughout the internet
Brokers and public Open Houses are scheduled and advertising.
I tend to get my listings written up in the local newspapers.
My job is to SELL your home I SELL houses, I don't collect them. If you have a customer, please show my homes.
Thanks for letting me vent, now maybe my head won't explode.
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Donna Galinsky
FindYourHomeLI.com
Licensed Salesperson, Pugatch Realty Corp.If you are thinking of buying or selling a home in Southwest Nassau County ( Cedarhurst, East Rockaway, The Five Towns, Gibson, Hewlett, Hewlett Harbor, Hewlett Bay Park, Hewlett Neck, Inwood, Lawrence, Lynbrook, North Woodmere, Oceanside, Valley Stream, Woodmere or Woodsburgh. Please visit my website for more information on buying and selling . You can also search the entire MLSLI . Let us tell you what makes us different from the rest.
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