So far, I have contacted 6 agents on my side of town. With the exception of the listing agent we purchased our new home from, all of them were initially contacted through their website.

One of them went without a response for 5 days because the online inquiry from their website was sent to her spam folder. Seriously...what would a prospective buyer think about that kind of response? Is it me, or does it just seem very lame for people to be a "professional" real estate agent, yet they are operating with aol or yahoo accounts?

Two agents were called this morning and I left messages for both of them to reschedule existing appointments. 12 hours later, I still haven't heard a peep from them. Seriously, in the current real estate market, why would I want to use an agent who in order to get the listing will obviously overpromise the world to me to get my business, yet be no more prompt in their responses than this? So, for any of you real estate agents out there, would you leave the office at night without returning a phone call like that?

Maybe I'm just being a bit of a pain in the a$$ about it, but I obviously want my agent to be accessible and if this is an indication of how they'll be treated on their end, I'll look elsewhere. Thus far, I have 3 other agents who are showing that they are very hungry for my business and making me believe I should fire 3 of them before they step foot in the door.

Ok, I'm done venting now...
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My buddy is a real-estate agent and he says the key is to answer your damn phone. Leaving a message is like listening to the sale you could have had. The national realtor's association really needs to weed out the bad ones. there is just too many inmho
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I find it hard to think that an agent would blow you off in this market....that is unacceptable. I was an agent for a few years and I went to the end's of the earth to get contacts/leads. Sorry to hear that you are having trouble with finding a good agent.

Good luck with the sale and make sure to negotiate the commission.
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Don't waste your time with the 3 slackers and good luck with your listing.
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Try using one of Dave Ramsey's ELP's. It's sort of like getting a good recommendation and if they don't work out you can report them. Good luck, a lot of Realtor's are overwhelmed with houses and you have to sort of sell yours to them as not being just another home that may sit there for months on end.
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Sorry, but it's not my job to sell them anything considering they'll stand to make more than $10k off of my house. It's their job to sell mine and that's what I'm paying them to do. If I have to sell my house to anyone, why in the hell do I need them?
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I understand the frustration, especially living in FL where the housing bubble has hit the worst. It's not that they won't make a lot off of your home, but that they have so much backlog now, it's difficult for them to take on more and still give quality service. The larger companies, Remax, Century 21, etc are better at this as they usually have more staff, but still it's the times we live in.

I'd still recommend the ELP off of Ramsey's site as he guarantees of a sorts they will be the best.

I want to add that most RE companies make you sign a 6 month agreement. And a TON of them are finding that no matter who they sign up that time frame is getting harder and harder for them to meet. Where do you live btw? You could try buyowner, or similar sell your own type of program.
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I checked it out...the funny thing is one of them I'm ready to fire was the listing agent for the house I bought that never returned my message today. Same realtor that wasn't at the closing for his seller in which I was the buyer. :-)

I'm in Indianapolis...not a great market by any means, but slightly improving over the past 6 months.
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You can report them. If you so choose. Personally, I use realtor's as sort of a key. They unlock the doors I need, but I have to walk through.

You may want to look at the foreclosure properties and the bank owned as well as those in default in your area. It will give you an idea of backlog these guys are dealing with. I know here in FL 1 out of every 3 houses in my price range were foreclosed, bank owned or pre foreclosure. The improvement you see could be just because house prices are getting to where they need to be and they are moving the foreclosed stock. There are many a good realtor here that have gone to nothing but foreclosures and bank owned and when they get a chance for one that's not, they feel it the owner will be asking more than the market will allow. Not saying you are doing that, just that is the general feel.
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I wanted to add as well, that you might look at local talk radio stations websites for RE agents. These agencies usually have a small slot of talk time and they are usually the most proactive agents in a district.
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When you call a real estate firm ask the receptionist who is the best broker. Look on Craigslist to see who has nice looking listing and who has a lot of listings.

Make sure you agree on how many open houses and ads they intend to do. Don't extend the exclusive too far out. It's best to go with a big name broker and you should really do your own home work on what is a realistic home price. Remember the home buyer's tax credit is over and that is going to hurt home sales. You may want to consider staging your home and that could include putting items into storage. It's vital to make your house look as big and flowing as possible.
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We're moving out in 10 days, so it'll be empty for pictures. As far as price point, I feel like our listing price will be the lowest in our neighborhood and we have the most features to offer compared to the other homes (larger lot, stamped concrete patio, fenced yard, and 3 car garage compared to the others currently listed.
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For sure you'll want to stage the house. Never show an empty house is rule number one in real estate. Ask a few realtors who to call or some furniture rental places may have someone on staff. Don't do it yourself. You need trained fresh eyes to layout what is need to make the place look its best.

As for pricing, it is such a buyer's market and the homes that are deals are moving and the ones that are "realistic on paper" are sitting. You're a few months too late to get on market, so use a low price and good showings to speed your sale.
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Well, we just purchased a much larger home and closed about 6 weeks ago on it. It just wasn't doable to get the current home on the market during that time cuz it's hard to freshen up the house you're living in with the 3 terrors we have running around our house. Ideally, I'd probably prefer to start about $15k than I anticipate listing for, but with 4 other homes up for sale in our neighborhood, I want to be at the lowest price point.
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I have a Dayton Ohio guy I can recommend, don't know if they work at distances, or stay local though.
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The 4 other homes are great to market your home if priced correct. You should come under per sq ft price and make your home stand out however you can. Being empty allows you to really show it off with the right staging.
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and if you decide to have an open house....either up an apple pie in the oven or light a candle that smells like one. You have no idea how successful this little trick has been for me in the past.
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