So we're having some issues with our seller's agent recently and I'm feeling frustrated but wondering if some of it might be me being unreasonable. Based in the Phoenix area.
So we started working with our agent in February when we knew for sure we'd be leaving the area and selling. Our plan was to do premarketing asap, go live April 1 and she'd do open houses the first two days.
In the last few weeks I've been feeling anxious about getting on the market before things get any worse and our state goes on lockdown. We've been decluttering and getting all the projects done prepping the house. On Wednesday, the realtor came to do the staging. She was six hours late but ok, something came up. When discussing our timeline, I mentioned my concern about getting on the market sooner and she agreed, like she had been thinking that already. So she scheduled the cleaners for Thursday and the photographer for Friday at 3. She said as soon as she got the pictures from the photographer we'd go live, probably 2 or 3 days so Monday at the latest. She'd still do open houses the first two days, just with gloves and booties for everyone, one or two people at a time.
We busted our butts finishing the staging and getting it photo ready. Cleaners came on Thursday. Realtor said she'd text me to confirm the photographer. By Friday morning I hadn't heard from her so I texted her to ask if the photographer was still coming at 3. At 2:00 she responded that he wasn't. The photographer can't come until Monday. That would put our listing back a few days, no big deal normally but I'm feeling pretty concerned our state will go on lockdown soon. Actually I think she didn't make a reservation with the photographer on Wednesday because we got a confirmation email from the photographer Friday night about our Monday appointment, didn't get earlier in the week.
Here's where I'm thinking I might be the asshole. I asked if we could put it up without professional pictures so at least we could get some of the weekend traffic, and asked if she was available to do an open house before everything locks down. I said I'd understand if her schedule didn't allow it. I also mentioned I could take a couple of pictures if we need emergency pictures for a few days. She said she was available for open houses 3-5 Saturday and Sunday, yes take pictures and texted me some examples of what she wanted. Ok, we're making it work in tough circumstances. She'd put up the listing as soon as I got her the pics.
So I go around and take pictures with my iPad, which takes ok pictures. I've seen thousands of listings so I know it needs to look bright. House is already photo ready. They look ok, not professional but I've seen way worse. Got about 30-35 pictures to her at 4. She said she got them, they look good and she would send me a proof and pop up the listing.
Then nothing happened. It still wasn't up this morning. I texted her asking if we were still having an open house today. No response. Eventually the listing popped up on Zillow. She didn't write a description, just a note about Covid and don't touch anything in the house. She put up a picture of the living room and that's it. Nothing about open houses. After about an hour I got a text request for a showing through some app, not directed by my realtor. As we're leaving we realize that she didn't give us a lockbox or anything so we put a key in a contractor box we already had and I texted our realtor the code. While we were leaving the neighborhood we realized she might not get the message so we turned back and let the other realtor in. He mentioned that he called our realtor and she said she was "too busy."
While we're out our realtor texted asking me about the contractor box. I think the other realtor had asked her about it to try to get in before we turned back. Later I texted asking if the other realtor gave any feedback and I haven't heard from her since. 3:00 came and went with no open house, obviously.
I'm frustrated that our listing looks bad and that our realtor is no longer communicating with us. In my personal current experience of trying to buy a house in a different area that I may never see in person (true of many people given the current situation) I really rely on detailed listing info and pictures. If there's a listing with only one picture and no info, I will pass over that and probably not return. So to me, I feel like having a regular number of ok, not great, pictures and a short description for the next maybe 5 days until we have professional photography is important. I also feel like she should have had a least a little something written. I could write a short description in a few minutes and send it to her but I don't want to seem controlling and also, I had to do the photography and about half of the staging myself anyway so if I'm writing the listing too we may as well FSBO.
But it's possible that I'm the issue here because I initiated moving the listing date up and posting it without professional photography. It could be that she's trying to protect her reputation by not putting up a subpar listing and with only one picture and no description it might be signalling that more will be coming soon (though the listing doesn't say that). She's the one with experience so I should trust her. My husband thinks maybe she has a hard time saying no, so when I ask her if we can do stuff or if she's available and she says yes, that might not really be true and she just can't say no. Or maybe something is going on in her personal life.
I haven't said anything to her about how frustrated I am with the way things are going, but I'm really feeling like dropping her because at this point she just helped us with staging and is making it harder to sell than FSBO since I feel like I'm doing everything and throwing it against a brick wall. But it could be my fault. So realtors of Reddit, do I have a crappy realtor or am I a crappy seller? Both?
ETA: I also learned that she didn't do any premarketing after all
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source https://www.reddit.com/r/RealEstate/comments/fqxt2t/are_we_being_unreasonable_sellers/
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