I sold my house years ago. I was still living in the house. Thank GOD the buyers came on the wrong day. I was cooking & I was able to show them the house. I had a new air & heating system. New carpet new refrigerator & other new things. I really didn't know I had to move so soon. I had just also put a new roof on the house. It stayed on the market for a couple of days. I talked to the couple & I found out the man was a veteran so he didn't have to put a large down payment on the house. It worked out great for everyone. I had to move to another state & found another great home on the Internet. My realtor knew a realtor in that state who was of great help. This is a great video. GOD Bless u for your work!!!
One thing I have ALWAYS refused from a realtor is an open house. I've heard that fewer than 2% of houses are sold via open house. Realtors love open houses so they can pass out their cards to those (allegedly) looking to buy a house. I don't want someone that is merely out for an afternoon drive to see my house is an open house so they can tramp through the place looking when they're not interested in buying. Some could even be looking for a way to break into the place.
I'll be honest, Open Houses are a lot of work for agents if they do it well. I like to recommend an Open House the first weekend the property goes live in MLS. Most buyers look for their homes on the internet or on their phones. They don't want to be bothered making an appointment with their realtor. They'd rather wait for an open house then bug their realtor. Open Houses aren't as busy as they once were because buyers and your neighbors already know what the house looks likes on line. One of the hardest things to do for a listing agent is getting buyers to come view the property. I am not against Open Houses...but I wouldn't go over board. I hear your concerns and they are valid.
@@AudraLambert Audra, If you do have an Open House, can you still require that Buyers who attend are pre-approved, even if they're not with their Agent? Please and thanks!
I would rather not have an Open House. I have installed brand new carpeting in all 3 bedrooms and hate the thought of John Q Public tromping through with their shoes on. I plan to go with 'By Appointment Only'. @@AudraLambert
Asking a real estate agent whether you should buy a home right now is like to asking an alcoholic whether they think you should have a drink lol. Homes in my neighborhood that cost around $450k in sales in 2019 are now going for $800k to $950k. Every seller in my neighborhood is currently making a $350k profit. Simply unreal. In all honesty, deflation is what we require. The only other option is for many people to go bankrupt, which would also be bad for the economy. That is the only way to return to normal.
If anything, it'll get worse. Very soon, affordable housing will no longer be affordable. So anything anyone want to do, I will advise they do it now because the prices today will look like dips tomorrow. Until the Fed clamps down even further, I think we're going to see hysteria due to rampant inflation. You can't halfway rip the band-aid off.
Home prices will come down eventually, but for now; its best to offset some of your real estate investments and get into the financial markets or gold. The new mortgage rates are crazy, add to that the recession and the fact that mortgage guidelines are getting more difficult. Home prices will need to fall by a minimum of 40% (more like 50%) before the market normalizes. If you are in cross roads or need sincere advise on the best moves to take now its best you seek an independent advisor who knows about the financial markets.
There are a handful of experts in the field. I've experimented with a few over the past years, but I've stuck with Annette Marie Holt for about 4 years now, and her performance has been consistently impressive. She’s quite known in her field, look-her up.
I just looked this lady up out of curiosity and found her web page easily. Read through her qualifications, which were all very impressive. So I scheduled a call with her.
Been a contractor for over 50 years... You said everything perfect!!! If others don't like honesty you know it. It is called: when it stinks, it's not perfume!! All the very best in health and prosperity. 😊
@@AudraLambert: Dear Audra, very good advice. You are a true professional Nevertheless, no agent is worth 6% or even 5%, or 2%, No! 1% percent is the right answer! That’s what it is in most of the world such as England, a place I have visited 40 times. And here you are well aware that the monopoly has been broken, and the dual agency fraud is gone forever, very soon! No one has Gotten more easy money from me as a builder than real estate agents here in California. Most of them are totally incompetent. (Same for con-quackters). I know you don’t want to hear this but you have to understand how much people without realtors. I’m in the building industry and I know it very well. The realtor industry is despised because they are so overpaid and under qualified.
OMG! This is my 3rd video, and I’m only halfway through, just wanted to tell you I appreciate you! This is my 1st sell, and I’m going to be SO thankful when our home is on the market and “SOLD!”
My realtor did an open house. He did not show the house until the day of the OH. We had 8 solid offers. We got $20,000 over asking. I think our timing was everything. We are so grateful we took his advice.
Very smart. That is what I recommend for my clients too. Congrats...and I am glad you found a great realtor to represent you in the sale of your home. Well done!!
Thank you! We have worked with realtors in selling and purchasing 4 homes in different states. We’ve had a couple really good realtors, couple horrible ones, and mostly mediocre ones. Learned much of what you said the hard way. Great advice! Yes do your own research. Discuss terms before you sign. Negotiate terms you aren’t comfortable with. Interview several realtors. Don’t use a newbie just because they are your cousin.
We are all ignorant consumers in the areas of life that we don't have expertise in. Such as buying a vehicle or a home or doing electrical work,etc. So it is hard to pick a good person for a number of jobs. The factor that I see is that many agents get good reviews from their buyers/sellers because those buyers/ sellers like their agents. Not necessarily that the agents are good at their jobs but they are personable and the deal closed to everyone's satisfaction so they consider them a good agent. It is mainly when deals go sideways that clients find out what their agents are really made of. As agents we see what the other agents are really like. Do they know their stuff or are they just fluff? I cannot tell you how many agents work out of their areas of expertise when the commissions are high. It is sad to see. Do they actually educate their clients along the way or do they do the minimum to keep in touch? So many things go into being good agents vs being mediocre. Showing the first house the other day to a client I had just started to work with. Lower price point and a rehabbed house so pulling out kitchen drawers and looking the HVAC unit and walking the floor for foundation issues blew them away. So when I pulled out the drawers and showed her how they were sticking and dragging and the spots were the foundation felt soft, she started telling me their horror story with another agent a few weeks later because she had grown to trust me that I wanted to make sure they knew problems and were willing to work with those problems or discard that home as a potential buy. But I don't know if most agents just walk a house and let the buyers look without helping them look for potential issues that they need to be aware of. And the less experience an agent has the greater the chance that they haven't learned everything yet. Need a good broker for guidance. Do I still make mistakes? Yes as I don't know everything.
@FayeTaylor. You sound like one of the good ones we had. They did a lot to educate us and fought to get us what we needed. They had experience. The horrible ones had experience but we felt like they were using that against us and for their own benefit. They often tried to rush us and just wanted the deal to be done with as little of their time as possible.
I was always told bathrooms and kitchens were the rooms you would recoup your money from, or make more in the sale. Outdated baths can be a hassle and expensive to replace. Audra - could you please give me your thoughts? Thank you! Mary
In my experience, cleanliness is most important, and if a bathroom or kitchen is gross, and cleaning will not fix it, then a remodel will garner a quicker sale. Whether you 'recoup' your investment is subjective.
Many people do clueless renovations, spending money unwisely on trendy junk. A good renovation should reflect the nature of the home's style. Keep it simple.
Depends on the house. Also, don't hire a contractor to do the reno. Do the contracting yourself and just hire the various trades people that are needed for the reno. Watch some youtube videos on the steps for kitchen and bathroom renos and the role of each tradesperson. It's actually not that complicated.
@@leafyutube I repeat: "Many people do clueless renovations." It is easy for a few people, but if a client knows very little about sub-trade work, it is easy to receive sub-standard work. Also, a contractor has sub-trades on speed-dial, so for any time sensitive matters, hiring random sub-trades might not achieve a timely response. Like any field of work, it looks easy to the outsider, because it is a 'professionals' job to apply skill and technique, which makes a process seem easy.
I was a RealEstate agent for 14 years and was always honest and worked my butt off ! I came to the conclusion that basically most people do not trust Real Estate Agents and think they are always lying ! I dealt with some wonderful clients and some people that just want to use you for your knowledge! So People, not all Real Estate agents lie! But, there are Real Estate agents that are all about numbers and very quick talkers and their goal is to sell as many properties as they can quickly! The big wig fastest talker isn’t always your best choice!
I hear ya. There are good agents and bad ones. This video is just meant to guide consumers away from some of the shoddy ones....there are not so good people in every industry. Appreciate your comment:)
Cathy you may have been honest , but I dealt with a few real estate investors for several years. The real estate agents that I met and worked with were always trying to screw over other agents and possible buyers. I saw it and heard it more than once, the lack of professionalism and integrity . I will give you 1 example , I notified the agent of a serious electrical issue that I discovered accidentally. The agent said that the inspector didn’t catch it so- we are not having this conversation. I could give you multiple examples of no integrity in agents because they were always trying to steal each other’s listings and buyers. They would backstab and gossip about the agent with potential buyers .
@@bobdees6428 Ugh!! I hate that! As realtors we have a code of ethics we are SUPPOSED to abide by. Unfortunately, the National Association of Realtors does not do a good job of enforcing their codes of ethics. Make me sad. You example is just unbelievable. Thanks for your comment.
Many do lie. I posted a comment today above that will clue you into how we a caught a lying realtor. If I could get her and other realtor caught on my surveillance system sign a release I would put the 50 videos up on You tube. I bet that would be a highly viewed You tube channel.
@@jtwood4925Yep! I caught my mom’s realtor sabotaging the sale of her house (small town, really long story) and I caught ON VIDEO my realtor offering to get my husband and me to sell this couple our house for less if he could list their house AND he would take a lower percentage on their house. So MY HUSBAND AND I got to pay a sweetheart deal for the realtor and this buyer! Fortunately, the couple didn’t bite or I would have had to show them the videos. Yes, I had signs stating my house was under video surveillance AND no cameras were hidden. They were VERY obvious! And this idiot realtor STILL did that kind of stuff.
Glad it was helpful! I do think having the agent there during showings is important. If they are not going to be there and/or have a lockbox present, then you should be paying less commission...just my opinion.
When I was interviewing realtors in preps for selling my home, one gentleman was recommended to me by a friend. Said realtor gave his spiel, which was how he would probably NOT be able to sell my house. That was the thrust of his entire brief! My wife and I were stunned to say the least. Anyway, I thanked him for his time and scratched him off the list. I did call him after I did choose a realtor (who sold our house within a week) to let him know I was going with someone else. Believe it or not, this guy was very, very disappointed and a little bit angry that I hadn't chosen him. I still shake my head when I think of this.
That is just not cool! I am always amazed at some of the experiences I hear people have when they are selling their homes. So glad you found a great realtor. Thanks for sharing. Appreciate your comment.
Realtors don't always know the market. I sold a house and forced the realtor to list $3k more than she wanted to. The house was on the market for 6 hours with Open House. Five offers with three over listing. Sold for $5K over listing!
I don’t know where you live but I’m in New Zealand and I had an agent want to list our small farm for 1.4 million . I ended up doing everything myself and listing it and sold it in 6 weeks for nearly 1.6 million . The guy nearly cost us 200,000 dollars . He also bullshitted about some things , telling us he had buyers etc but he just wanted the contract signed . Pure middlemen they are .
we are in Cumbria, England, UK and we had disaster with two estate agents so we took our home off the market and we are praying to GOD to send us a buyer. More chances to find someone real. So many timewasters around ;-( Pray for us, Tilery Farm. Thank you very much xxx
Thank you- Valuable Advice. I would add that unless you are dealing with a recommended, experienced, & ethical professional, DO NOT TRUST your agent to act in your Best interests. In my personal experience the agent will act in their own interest first to get the sale as quick & easily as possible ( even if it means using private financial info against you). The seller’s interest will be an afterthought.
Well, I say don't trust anyone. The people in my life have proven to be trustworthy over time. Be very careful who you select as you agent. Make sure you look at past reviews and ask for references...and actually call these references. Thanks for commenting.
Yep. During the Great Recession, there were so many pocket listings in the SF Bay Area that it wasn't funny. The insider dealing was off the charts. So much for ethics and fiduciary responsibilities.
@billybigelow, you said a mouthful and I wholeheartedly agree. A realtor attempted a stunt like that with me. We knew each other well and had done a prior transaction, but when we looked to this particular realtor to sell our primary, he suggested we list at only a few thousands more than a builder-grade neighboring home that had sold after being on the market for four months. Mind you, we had many upgrades from builder-grade, both inside and outside the home. No surprise, we got an offer quick and at the asking price from his friend, an investor. They, of course, didn't say to me that they knew each other, but it was clear that our realtor's loyalty wasn't to us. We rejected the low-ball offer and dismissed the realtor, who by the way, uses lock boxes and allowed his investor friends to scope out the joint to plan how they wanted to try to play us for suckers. It was orchestrated and many were involved and working at the interest of one investor, who blocked others from seeing the property and who our realtor was "in bed with." Not literally in bed with, but figuratively speaking. Used car salesman are only doing child's play when compared to realtors. In fact, there are a couple of brokerage firms that I will not ever do business with. I am being nice by not naming names. Just know to beware, everyone.
@@AudraLambertwhat if the realtor has the most sales in your area and has no reviews. We haven't signed a listing agreement with the realtor yet, she was very sharp in her presentation and made a lot of good suggestions for improvements to the house- my concerns are that she won't work without a lockbox, she provided a listing agreement with the list price as blank saying that will be determined closer to the time that the home down the street closes - at a price that is lower than what another home on our street sold for a few weeks ago according to the selling agent sharing the offer details verbally with her. The closest most recent sale is a home that's 2K square feet, lot is very small and closer to neighbors close to power lines, and sold for over $1.2M. Our home is over 3K sq ft, backs onto 50 foot douglas fir trees, no power lines near our home, park with play equipment and half court basketball across the street with a 3 car garage. Our builder has a better reputation for quality build. She says that home is not a good comp. The soldc 2K square foot house value per square foot would make our home worth $400K more than what she wants to list our home at. She has a clause for dual agency. She talks about how dual agency is not a problem. She wants to show our home before several windows are repaired. She's pressing for showing the home before several significant repairs are complete, she won't have someone from her office here when buyers look at the house, she insists that the lockbox technology is very secure and she knows who is going into the home and realtors risk losing their license if they do anything wrong. Our market has almost no homes for sale (Snoqualmie, WA) and our realtor just listed a home for sale in AZ for $2M. After watching your videos and finding other RE advice, I am uncomfortable with our realtor. She keeps asking us what the least amount of money we will accept. She points out that if we sell at what other homes are selling for we will have capital gains (we have lived in the home for 18 years), why do we need to sell for so much. She can call other realtors and they will confirm that asking for what looks like comps is too high. One comp sold for $200 k over list recently. We aren't needing to sell, our interest is close to 2%, mortgage payment is significantly less than rent for the most affordable apartment in the state and we are retired. We have been approached by a number of realtors representing buyers about selling. BUT! Our realtor cannot show me where we can buy a home for what she insists our home will sell for.
Love your video. Very good advice. I sold my home a while back and made many mistakes. Let him pressure us on price, 6 month listing, lockboxes, had to be out of town for our Open House, and put me on the list of a ton of “to-do’s”, while he did little. The buyer was even an “in-house” deal in his Broker’s office. He even delayed our closing payments for an hour while he had an issue about his commission check. We sold, but left money on the table (he felt more like the buyers’ rep than ours). Needless to say, we were not big fans by the end.
I am so sorry to hear this...sounds just awful. Truly unbelievable. Thanks for sharing your experience. I hope to help people avoid these types of experiences.
My husband was willing to go with 6 months because the realtor said that is what everybody does. I said NO, I will give them 3 months and only after they go through the house and let us know their thoughts. We had one want us to paint all walls for a refresh, they were painted a few months prior and were fine. They wanted us to tear up all the carpet and replace it, nothing wrong with the carpet that was there, it wasn't that old. They wanted us to do very expensive landscaping, oh and they had recommendations as to what companies to use for all these things. We would have had to spend more than the profit would be. We had several say they would not do less than a 6-month contract. I said fine, go away. Did not do the ridiculous things several of the retailors wanted us to do. I put some things in storage, I staged the house and it sold with no issue. Be careful.
Excellent advice and I would like to ad some advice from the prospective of a seller. 1. Never use an agent that contacts you out of the blue via phone, rings your doorbell or by mail asking if you are interested in selling your home. That goes especially after your listing term is up and your home is taken temporarily off the market. 2. Never use an agent that doesn't do this full time. 3. Never use an agent that works out of their home without an office. 4. Never use an agent that doesn't have pictures of the home taken by a professional. If he claims that he is a professional then ask to view the photos before they are used in the listing.
I had a realtor that I used in the past. I tried to checkout and go with another agent. My old realtor didn’t like that and came to confront us. So much for using the new agent
I sold in 2021 with a flat fee broker. “Staged” my own house, 4 rooms were empty, and I’ve bought empty houses before. I think staging is a scam. Got comps from the broker, looked up comps myself online, and priced my own house. Sign in the yard, beautiful photos of the house, listings on all the sites, people looked at it, sold for over asking. In the 90s I sold my house myself, no internet. Sign in the yard, flyer in a box, realtors called me, showed the house, sold.
I would also say that your method may not work in all markets and all price ranges. I’m not a realtor, so I’m not biased. But staging is definitely not a scam! You even said you staged your house yourself. So your statements are contradictory.
@@traceye.6428 Hello again. When I use the word staging, I mean intentionally preparing your house for sale...decluttering, moving furniture around to make the room look bigger, making sure every room has a purpose, adding furniture/accessories so that the house shows in its best light. There are professional staging companies out there that will recommend to home owner to remove certain items, declutter areas, and then they will bring in their own decor/furnishings to complete the project. On all of my listings, I will offer professional staging for free because I believe in it. I am putting money where my mouth is. If the house does not need staging, I will reduce my commission accordingly. A lot of agents don't offer this service. Most home owners can watch videos and do it themselves. De-Cluttering and cleaning is actually the biggest part.
@@AudraLambert hi Audra, yes I agree with all of your points 100%. Sorry, I was replying to a previous commenter who said “staging was a scam!” I believe staging is a vital component of selling a home. Especially, professional staging. Sorry for the confusion. 🙂
@@traceye.6428 I used my own furniture. And I didn’t paint anything. Every room was a different color. I was still living there. I’ve bought and sold empty houses. I’m aware there are staging companies, but I have no idea why someone would pay to have their empty house filled with furniture to sell the house. That’s just weird to me. Sorry. I don’t get it.
We have moved many times and bought and sold quite a few houses. Wehave learned much of this info by experience, but I dont believe I have ever seen such a concise, practical, and wise presentation from a realtor. Well done.
My house sold in 3 weeks because I told my realtor to be there and he was there. The third person purchased. Vero Beach Florida. Thi😊s was October 2023. We closed in 8 weeks. Cash buyer😅
Maybe your house sold under market value...3 weeks, lol however if that happened under the right conditions meaning the house sold for market value then I have to say you are blessed !!! And you have God's favor 🙏
I'm in Michigan and over the years have bought and sold 5 houses. Never had the listing agent been at showings. It has always been lockbox with the buyers agent needing to be present. The only time i have viewed a house with a sellers representative being there was open houses, never during a private showing.
I've been very impressed with the realtor I've been working with in FL for many reasons. An additional one: we happened to be chatting about crazy insurance ptices on hard to insure homes. She told me about the worst case she had ever encountered. An older couple from out of state contacted her and they only wanted to see one house - and they wanted her to video tour it for them. It was an older and very unique home - and the couple discovered their policy was going to cost them $7,000/yr (pricey home, closer to the coast?). The worst part was, the couple didnt want to pay for an inspection and just wanted to come and move in without even viewing it for themselves. Sounds nuts to me - all that money and refusing a @$500+ inspection fee? My realtor was horrified and ended up paying for the inspection herself. I told her she shouldn't have - it was their choice. She said she couldn't, in good conscience, go through with it otherwise and the couple refused all other houses. She was concerned that they were older and possibly getting themselves into a money pit or unsafe conditions.
Well, that does not sound like an ideal situation. I am very impressed the agent purchased a home inspection for them. That's ethics. Love it. Thanks so much for sharing.
Love your videos! I flip houses and had an unsupervised lockbox situation while selling a house. Upon checking on the property, I found doors left unlocked on (4) different occasions by the Buyers Realtors, even after making my Realtor aware each time. I never worked with her again. I contract that dialog between the Realtors must take place after each showing now.
@thisoldjeeper5090 I'm sorry that this happened to you. But you really should not blame this on your Real Estate Agent. Unfortunately, even when Listing Agents put showing instructions in the MLS, the Buyer's Agents do not always follow those instructions. These irresponsible Buyer's Agents who don't double check to make sure that doors are all locked or who don't follow the showing instructions give all Real Estate Agents a bad name. I personally use only electronic Supra lockbox on my listings because it records who went into the house at a certain time, so it is easier to find out who was responsible.
Absolutely agreed on NO ✋️ LOCK BOXES, especially nowadays you never know whose criminal activities could have done onto the property, especially if there were other's disadvantages amenities such as pools.. Period..
Four years ago(pre Covid), our neighbor had an open house. Each prospective buyer had a 15 minute appointed time to peruse the house(Columbia,Md). Over 45 people and their agents came in over the weekend. The eventual buyers were the only ones my wife and I had opportunity to talk with. We told them about the great neighborhood and neighbors, the schools, shops and entertainment availability in the area. They bid up over everybody else (having much equity from their Connecticut home). That was then, I wonder how open houses do now. Great series content! Thanks
Yes, we did have scheduled time frames for open houses during Covid. As realtors, we are no longer required to have a posted set time schedule. We just post an open house from a certain time frame and people show up. Interestingly enough, we aren't getting as many visitors through the open house as we once did. Most buyers/neighbors will view the home online before coming to see the property. If they don't like what they see on line, they don't show up. Its not as frenzied as it was during Covid. Thanks for watching my videos...appreciate the support.
The realtor who listed my house insisted on a lockbox and did just what you said....she sat back and left it to others not in her office. Sadly, my home was burglarized while listed and I lost many treasured memories. I let the agent go and sold the property myself in less than 6 weeks. This was a time before computers or internet, when you had to sift through the MLS book and put ads in rag papers. I would never allow an open house in today's age and wholeheartedly agree with you about lockboxes, so will never have one put on when I sell again, Thank you for your very knowledgeable and informative videos.
Very helpful. We are contemplating selling in a few years. I know many realtors in the area but have decided I won’t hire a friend but will interview several agents as you suggested. I am not a fan of staging. It always looks fake and designed to make the space look larger but not for realistic comfort or living. Also bland and trendy. Thanks for the tips.
This is such good advice. I've made a couple of the mistakes you mentioned when I was younger and I had one of those lemon agents. I'm not selling anytime soon but I'm going to subscribe to your channel so I'll be prepared when I do. Thanks for teaching us how to be a professional seller, not someone just ripe for being taken advantage of.
Mom advised me to set a higher commission on buyer than seller agent. Seller agent agreed and it was in the contract. Then tried to renegotiate and even went so far as telling my attorney her amount due was higher. Luckily, I caught that before closing but be sure to check your closing docs for commissions.
Ugh...I hate to hear this!! You are absolutely right...make sure to check your closing statements thoroughly to avoid this type of behavior. So sorry to hear about this. Not cool.
As a fellow agent, there is one thing to remember….real estate is both global and local. Meaning, not everyone subscribes to the same customs everywhere. In this case, there is very limited inventory where I live and too many buyers. It’s still a seller’s market. Also, where I live, Supra lockboxes are the industry standard and NO listing agent accompanies buyer agents and their clients. It makes buyers less comfortable or able to talk freely. The Supra boxes show exactly who is at the house and when. So if there is a problem, it can be narrowed down quite a bit unless there are back to back showings (where it will usually be reported by the next agent).
I hear ya. I still hate lockboxes. Visitors can still take advantage of the property. In fact, one of my youtube subscribers just commented about having a visitor stealing from her. They couldn't figure out who stole what because there were so many visitors on the same day. Sometimes you have 10 showings in one day on a property. How in the world do you narrow it down to who could have damaged or stole something on a property? You cant! I show all my properties privately. I treat all my properties like they are a $10million dollar listing. Of course, I am going to scrub every buyer that makes an appointment. I don't need a herd of buyers through a house that they can't buy. If I can't show a property I am listing, I have two other agents that can support me on my team. Its that important to me. I don't care if the buyer is uncomfortable if I am there...they are a guest in my clients house...and they need to treat it as such. I do agree that every area is different as to what is customary and non-customary in the area.
@@Jennsylvania You're right...but if you as the listing agent are present...there is a lot less that could happen. Minimize any risk is what I recommend.
That must have been the case when this idiot got her license she can’t sell anything she is all fraud ! She is the typical real estate agent that thinks she can sell just because last few years the market has been higher than ever before! I would not let her sell a trash can ! Only an idiot would hire this bitch
Just DO NOT LEAVE ANYTHING VALUABLE in your home at this time, the only things in the home on show should be for staging the hime, things that you are not going to care if they break or are stolen, if you cannot tolerate tis advice you are very controlling and probably have other issues 🤷♀️
I live in a rural area and leaving your house unattended while it is on the market is an open invitation to anybody who wants to break in (which is exactly what happened to the home i currently own).
Oh my god that happened to me!!! But you can't be there 24-7. I called my agent in an emergency situation. It's a rural area. I was gone from the house for 10 minutes. And when I returned the people that were scheduled to come the next day had actually came that same day WITHOUT the agent and were roaming inside the house. I was gone for 10 minutes and I had left the front door unlocked. And in that ten minutes these people were there going through the house. My agent couldn't believe it! I left the door unlocked and they didn't know the lockbox combination. Yes, the rural area thing was a nightmare. It was my parents inherited house. People would drive up the driveway and look in the windows while I was living there. It was so awful, the rural area angle.
@@kennethlee4894 Yes! In rural areas, houses are spread out and secluded. Your next door neighbor can be too far away to watch over your property while you are away. In my case, I lived 50 miles away while this home was vacant and with a "For Sale" sign up with an obvious vacant house and no nearby neighbors, it was a golden invitation to anyone to help themselves, day and night.
@@kennethlee4894 Are you kidding me? That is just rude and illegal. People can't come into your house without your permission. That's is scary. So sorry to hear that.
The lazy and deceitful ones are ALWAYS offended; you're calling them out! 😁 If you move out of your house while it's for sale, you may have to have "vacant home insurance" (at considerable cost also) to cover the house while it is vacant, especially if you have a mortgage on the property. This can vary between states, mortgage companies, and insurers.
I found that out the hard way when I put my mom in assisted living...somehow her homeowners insurance found out it wasn't occupied and they canceled her. I had to scramble to find a high risk policy before the bank threatened to call the loan. I had to sell the house under duress. Total nightmare
Add a vacancy endorsement and you're good. Also, it's not like that has to be done the day you move out. If you're still residing in the general area and frequently at the property, I usually handle the situation accordingly, as my response to their loyalty and the value of our relationship. 💯🏠
I just made every mistake possible and I am relisting. I can't even express my gratitude towards you for doing these types of videos. Thank you! Not every agent is ethical as you said, and good ones are hard to find! Your clients are lucky
A LOT are unethical, you can sell your house on your own. Realtors lie about there being an agent that represents the buyer when really your agent offered them a few thousand to PRETEND so they can get a full 6 percent. They have all kinds of tricks and are just looking to get wealthy selling homes but are very dishonest with you. Tampa FL is very bad as well as ST Pete and Clearwater. I am sure every place has greedy dishonest realtors.
personally, its my rule of thumb the more money involved the more financial incentive folks have to be less ethical. PROPER SCRUTINY/Screening is a must. Im comparing homes by generation to see which theme I like the most. cuz these modern batch seem to have a nicer facade but the numbers get bigger in price but smaller when it comes to dimensions. older homes could be bigger but you have older home maintenance issues, its just a mental observation. its funny how half a million bucks can get a smaller home than my current home. (part of the price is the neighborhood, HOA, lake, gated community, near a booming part of town, and so on, BUT THE HOUSE IS SMALL)
i got to your channel by chance. Was extremely impressed with your sincere unfiltered and unbiased advise for home owners as well as potential buyers/sellers. U have my vote of confidence. Unfortunately I live in Northern Cali. If I am in South Cali, you will be my agent. Thanks Audra.
I really enjoy your content Audra! I’d love to see you do reaction videos to how the staging and pricing is done on current listings. Also, love your style! ❤
As a realtor I agree with everything you said except of lockboxes. Or let me correct myself: as a buyer or an agent I prefer to go and see the property whenever I wasn’t not when listing agent is available. It is too much of time wasted 😊
I hear ya on the convenient factor..however, its really a lot of risk for the seller. Too much can happen if the property isn't watched closely. Thanks for you comment. Appreciate you watching my video:)
Realtor here. Combo lockboxes get people looking for a place to meet their girlfriend, smoke dope or just cause trouble without interference. And there's no record of who visited when. So you want to look conveniently? The guy who visited the same afternoon took out the oven and hauled butt. The only license plate the neighbor remembers seeing is yours. Just trouble my friend.....
"Too much time wasted"? You get a commission, you have to be prepared to "waste your time" to earn the commission. If you think it is a waste of your time to accompany a potential buyer in a showing, then you SHOULD immediate get out of this business, period!
I'm a Realtor in Orlando, FL. I always enjoy listening to other professionals to hear their perspectives. Of course, each situation is different. I use and love using an electronic lock box, NOT a Combination Lock Box. With an Electronic Lock Box, it is registered to the Agent who is responsible and accountable for any thing that occurs during the showing of the property. As well as a date and time stamp of the showing.
Hello there! The problem with your electronic lockbox is that is someone damages or steals something on the property ( multiple visitors in a day) you can't prove which visitor was the offender. Better yet, even if you had one visitor, you can't prove there was any wrong doing. In my opinion, someone should be there watching the property. I know its a ton more work.
We had a lock box ... it got left unlocked and the front door was open . I just about lost my mind and yelled at the realtor 🙃. They were like oh it's fine nothing happened.... that's what made me so mad. We weren't living in the house at the time, so we went by after being out of town for the weekend and the front door was OPEN. I could see it open from the road 😡. I can't remember if they fired us or we fired them. They left a nasty note for the next realtor too about how difficult we were which was predicated by front door being left wide open on thanksgiving weekend. Absolutely a terrible experience
Despite fact we've moved (bought/sold) MANY times over the decades, I ALWAYS LEARN SOMETHING VALUABLE from you, your videos. Saving this one for the next go. THANK YOU.
Oh my did I learn from you! Thanks for all the great information. We are about to list our home and this helped so much. A new subscriber now and off to watch more!!
How sweet...thank you so much!! Really appreciate your compliment. I love that you are a fellow Orange County neighbor. Who knows, we may run into each other someday. Thanks so much for your support. ❤
I know how you feel. I wrote and published a book for FSBO’s and Realtors called me up and told me I should leave town. They even bashed me during a convention. Anyway I actually published the book to let For Sale Buy Owners know how much work is involved in selling their home. So I used to go after FSBO’s and it actually helped me get listing over the other Realtors. Haha I think that’s what they were mad at. Now like your husband I do insurance.. but still have unopened boxes of my books. Thanks for the info and you are right on. A better informed client helps all of to maintain our professionalism. Thanks
I love your FSBO book. Good for you! I think its important the consumer is educated. Sounds like we think alike. I do agree FSBO don't realize how much work and liability they have. Good work...and thanks for sharing.
Once more, Thank You, Audra. You have no idea how much I have learned from you. I am in South Florida, and currently, I'm checking the market to buy in the Central Florida area. I wish I could find someone with your ethics, morale, and high standards....💪🏻 Wishing you the Best⚘️ Blessings...
You are so very welcome. So happy I could assist in some way. You'll do great when finding a home in Central Florida. You'll find the right agent:). Keep interviewing until you find the right one.
I just accidentally found this video. I am in the process of Dejunking so I can prepare to move in a few years. This is the second house I’ve owned. I never really thought about how to find a proper realtor. So I’m going to look for your other videos for more advice. Thank you.
Hello there!! So glad you found me. It really important to. find the right realtor. Interview at least 3 agents. You'll get a good idea as to which one you this is best suited for the job. I'd be happy to refer you a few agents to interview. No pressure: lambert.homes/referral
I think of a Real Estate agent as a specialist. We hired a absolutely professional to sell our house, cost us a fortune in fees...Was the best move We ever made and the Agent was worth every penny. From someone who does everything himself and a Contractor,You absolutely cannot beat a top specialist in their field.
I'm a retired Broker, appraiser after 4+ decades in business and I wholeheartedly share your aversion to lock boxes. I always viewed them as a tool for the lazy agent. The reason I'm commenting is that I found cases where homeowners insurance voided their coverage of the property if a lock box was used. I don't know if this still is common, but definitely something a property owner wants a WRITTEN commitment to from their insurer. I have a similar opinion of open houses - just a way for the lazy salesperson to say "See, I'm doing everything possible" you have to drop your price. It IDS a good way for the salesperson to get names to possibly sell into other houses - how nice of you to provide that avenue for them.
Wow..I never heard about the lockbox/insurance coverage rider...I'll check into that. I actually like open houses...trust me, very few people show up now-a-days because the see the property on line. Check out this video, curious your thoughts: ua-cam.com/video/CvCTHPGaObM/v-deo.htmlsi=l8fpC72Zf6t0hQi_
Great video! We've bought and sold several houses over the years and although we've had experience with all kinds of realtors (a couple REALLY wonderful and some meh), the information you provided reinforced the good things we've done in hiring an agent and also revealed where we could do better. One such point you made was in regard to the buyer's being qualified before even looking at the house. Our last agent did this...made a point of letting us know and, until your video, I didn't understand why it was so important. Thank you so much...I've downloaded your listing agent and buyer's agent interview checklists for future reference.
Agree no lock box & listing member present to safe guard property. I had lockbox once and left my home many times for 2 hours for another realtor to show. 4 times they did not pull front door completely closed to lock it down!!!! Thank God the buyers were not just casing a home to rob, it happens. Also came home to find realtor cards on table w/o prior notice, ceiling fans on, lights left on, a broken 2 ft tall statue beside jacuzzi. When my agent told the showing agent the replacement cost she refused until I called her and asked "should I have just let you call a tow truck instead of pulling you out myself with my truck to get you out of the ditch beside my house during the open house you flew through my yard into? I'll send you my bill". She paid my agent that day lol
Oh Tina, I hear this all the time. That is not good. I am so sorry for your experience. Thanks for sharing...people need to hear this. This drives me bananas!!
Recently bought a house and was amazed at how the selling agency operated. Lots of games go on behind the back of sellers and buyers but this one was quite bad. The scheme relied on sellers being penny wise but pound foolish. The selling agency offered 4% commission rather than the 5 or most likely 6 that other realtors asked. Then they under priced the home for a quick sale…I’m talking 25% below actual value! On top of that they kept 3% of the commission and gave buyer agents the measly 1%.. As a result the showing had only a few people show up because the selling agents didn’t want to be bothered with a 1% commission. They also wanted to send a message to this realtor. So we show up and love the place but are pretty skeptical based on the low price in a hot market AND hot property with 750’ of waterfront. Even though our realtor asked us to pay them 2% we were happy to do that with such a low price on the property. When you think it through all the seller sees (provided they don’t know the real value of their property) is they paid 4% instead of 6% and their property sold within two days. What could be better than that. On the realtors side they attract more sellers with low commissions and under pricing makes the properties sell rapidly generating fast money. In this case they are going for more turnover that outpaces the profits if they were to sell at the best price which would slow the sale. A quantity over quality sale approach. This situation hurts the seller but the buyer makes out really great. If I’m ever looking to buy again I will go to this realtor’s website and look at what they’re selling since their way of doing business benefits buyers and not sellers who are their clients.
As far as fixing your house for sale, correct all of the deferred maintenance with a licensed contractor. Use a good, competent home inspector to inspect the home , roof, foundation, pest control and make all of the repairs before you put the house on the market and have all the reports available for inspection when the property is shown. If your house has any deferred maintenance potential buyers overestimate the cost of repairs.
In my experience, potential buyers underestimate the cost of repairs and other work they might plan to have done. Too many home improvement shows make it look cheap and easy.
This is a useful video. "Eventually we're going to wear him down." That reveals exactly why people don't trust the profession. Do lawyer's treat their clients this way? Do accountants treat their clients this way? Do doctors treat their patients this way? I don't know about the U.S., but some Canadian provinces allow self-dealing behind the seller's back, and I've heard agents defend this with things like: "As long as the client gets what I promised, it doesn't matter if I'm making some money on the side, or I have a financial stake in the purchase. " That is not a "profession-client" relationship. That's an dishonest exploitive relationship. The agents where I live are "self-regulating," much like a lawyer or a doctor, a big mistake from the customer's point of view. I can't think of a profession more susceptible to abuses.
Thank you Jon for your response. "Things" have changed a bit where the buyer and the seller are responsible for compensating and choosing their own representation. There are some not so good agents that I would try to avoid (hence the purpose of this video). If you find a good agent, you might think differently. I do hear your frustration...many feel the same way.
That's interesting. I've never gone to tour a house with the listing agent present except at an open house. It's always just been me and my buyer's agent.
Hi Audra, great video, I'm an agent in NY where well over 95% of MLS properties have a lockbox. I work with "top" agents who use the same lockbox code for everyone of their listings so they don't have to remember different codes. It's this kind of unprofessionalism that drives me nuts. I can name three off the top of my head who, if I am going to show one of their listings, I know what the codes is before I even receive an approved showing.
@@katethegardenerHi, I want to do exactly what you do to sell your homes. I would greatly appreciate it if you would please tell me how you market your home for sale and what websites do you use. Thank you!
This should be required viewing for all homeowners looking to sell. Very valuable information. We have owned 7 homes in 50 years on marriage. Oddly enough 3 of our homes were SOLD as a result of an Open House. Even if the neighbors come in to see your home ---great because people know people and that is how you get a house sold.
My lakefront house is in a small and eclectic community of about fifty houses that range from 70 yr-old log cabins to 15-year old brick McMansions. Every house is different age, size and not all have a lakefront. How do you find "comps" when the houses are so diverse? Just curious. Thanks for the great videos..
Thanks for the question! Even professional appraisers would have difficulty appraising some of the homes in your area. Ultimately, the appraisers will give a bump in value for the lakefront views, they will adjust for bedroom count, lots size, square footage, condition of the property etc. I know this sounds obvious, but the house the shares the most similarities is the home that you should probably compare your property too. IF your house is nicer more updated, then give an adjustment up for price...visa versa. I know its tough to evaluate...but you can kinda get a ball park figure if you spend the time researching. Best of luck.
For sure it's better to list close to what you think the REAL final price will be (I found out the hard way), otherwise, the price will come down BELOw where it would have been with a lower initial asking price!
I hate that. Why can't the listing agent show the property? Ugh! A lot of areas are run that way with the lockbox. Not my favorite. I thinks it always a good idea to have a member of the listing team present when showing the property. Who knows what's really going on at the showing.
@@AudraLambertit is simply not the thing done in our area…electronic lockboxes are on with tracking information and require a code from the agent. Certain higher price point homes will ask their agent to be present during showings but that is a client request not standard. In the above comment “Why can’t the listing agent show the property?”, are you saying that you are to be the only agent there or that you the listing agent, the buyer’s agent and buyers are there? And when you are there, where are you during the appointment…in the home near them, sitting on the patio, in the driveway???? Nothing against an agent who is there to protect their clients; on the same hand, I would be telling my clients to write down information they would like to know and we will discuss it wherever we can that is not in the hearing range of the agent. There are privileged conversations that may want to be haven about the best way to write a contract while addressing other things ~ all things a seller’s agent does not need prior information of before receiving the offer.
@@Mo.Vintage15 Hello there...I am at every showing appointment or a trusted member of my team is there...ITS A TON OF WORK! As the listing agent, I will tell my the buyers/buyer's agent a few distinguishing features about the house. I will let them tour the house at their leisure. I did a video about this...you may want to watch it: ua-cam.com/video/ovSFHkxEwEA/v-deo.htmlsi=NJgKiFzPBN3DBpxF.
I would do your own research...try to figure out what your house is worth. It's really not that hard unless there hasn't been a lot of closed sales in the area, or you are in a remote area, and or a custom home. The sellers I meet up with are usually not surprised with my recommended list price. The realtor should be able to explain their "comps" to you and justify their recommended list price. If you interview at least 3 agents...you should get a good idea.
You can see the price range for sales of houses in your neighborhood of similar size. Where people go wrong is usually over valuing their home in contrast to similar homes because they are emotionally invested in work they did to improve it or they just imagine their home is so much better. Similar homes in your neighborhood will sell within a pretty tight range. Also being priced at the middle of that range and making sure your home looks good can lead to multiple offers, in a tight market. I never want to price at the top end. Multiple offers do a much better job of getting you top dollar than overpricing your home.
I agree with a lot of them. My aunt is a broker and told me in her market they have to use Supra because agents will even steal from the listing. In my market completely different most of my buyers are my sellers. I use lockboxes and showing time agents in my area are pretty good at being respectful. I also think it depends on a client if they ask for me to attend all showings I will do it. Most of my buyers don’t like when the listing agent is there. I Also I don’t ask for a pre approval from the buyers agent because I have had clients get offended automatically say I don’t want to see that house; Those exact buyers bought a house 80,000 more then that listing which is a lot in my market. It does depend the price of the listing, and we’re it’s at. I work mostly in 55 communities, and I have had buyers up there price range from 200 to over 500 because of what they get for the money. I usually host all my open houses myself.
I Loved this video presentation on selling your Home. You were informative and the pink coat ensemble with, the crisp white shirt attire was -Popping, Pure Perfection!🎉 l live in Texas…trying to Sale by March and l need all the help l can get. Thanks, Rose
Rose...THANK YOU so much. Really appreciate the compliment!! Means a lot to me. I do like that pink coat..lol. Thanks for watching from Texas...you're going to do great when selling. March is a great time. Best of luck to you!!
After watching multiple of your videos lm actually surprised to get an honest vibe from a realtor. Not all, but by far most of my agents have been lazy scam artists that weren't working on my side even though l paid them ridiculous commissions. Thanks for being transparent..
I am so happy that i made a productive decision about my finances that changed my life forever. I am a single mother and i live in Florida, i bought my first house in September and i hope to retire next year at 40 if all goes well. Thanks to Mrs Judith M Layton for helping me achieve this.
We have had bought 5 homes in our 35 years of marriage….3 of those by open house. The other two were company relocation so we had no. notice but to be by appointment. It took the listing agent A LOT of showings before we decided on our home. We still go to open houses today….you never know what is out there unless you do. It more than just the house…it’s also the surrounding. Pictures on MLS do not show you the surroundings. We want to move again, so we started going to open houses again. This is how we understand the market and also the conditions of the homes that sold for the “closing” price. Open houses are great …. You get to know YOUR market.
Great tips, 2 of the first 3 on the list are things I would’ve done. Glad to find your channel, I’ve watched several in a row. Appreciate your professionalism and polish, you’re a wealth of information!
This is the second of your videos that I've watched. You are so spot on. You present it well and you absolutely know what you're talking about. Plus you have nice eyes. Keep it up.
As a buyer, I've never been to a house WITHOUT a lockbox. Listing agents are never there. Upper middle class homes. What gives? I thought lockbox was normal. Frankly, I'd rather not have the seller's agent following us around a home, even if they can tell us about it. Because I don't think they would add much. I don't care about the cosmetic updates we can all see. I want to know what's behind the walls, above the ceilings, under the floors, in the utility room in the basement. What's going on with the foundation? What's in the attic? Wet spots on the property, where are they? That stuff that can cost you, and you don't even get to see the difference unlike bathroom and kitchen renos! I don't expect any seller to offer any secrets they don't want us to know about. That's for a damn good inspector, who has no affiliation with any parties involved. But now that you describe a few examples of the risk to the seller, though, I understand why a listing agent might want to be there.
Good points but I understand Sellers are required to fill out a 'Disclosure Form' re: problems with the house otherwise you could sue them for non-disclosure.
You make some very important points. When I am showing a house, I try not to crowd the visitor. I am really there as a resource (if they have questions) and to ensure no funny business happens when the visitor is present. A lot of buyers don't like it when the listing agent is there because they feel they are being watched...and they are. Its a huge responsibility letting an unknown person into a home. You better believe I am going to be there. A buyer came to one of my houses recently and didn't shut the refrigerator door all the way. I was closing up and noticed the refrigerator door was ajar. Thankfully, I was there to close it. If I wasn't there, the motor of the refrigerator could have burned out. A lot of homeowners live in their property while showing their house for sale..but a lot of properties I sell are vacant. Regarding what's wrong with the property, hiring a very thorough home inspector is essential! Thanks for your comment!!
@@micheleemcdaniel389Seller’s disclosure is not always required by broker agencies…and, in some instances, the seller can literally sign the form stating that they will not be completing one for whatever reason. As agents we encourage our buyers to have independent inspections and strongly recommended to have individual inspectors for the home, pool and septic tank system.
@@AudraLambertare the buyers’ agent accompanying their clients when viewing your seller’s homes? The reason I ask is the example of the frig door. If the buyer’s agent was present and was the agent securing the home back after the showing, it would have been their job to assure the home was closed properly….or do the agents assume you will take care of closing the home up and just leave…?
@@Mo.Vintage15 Great question. The buyer's agent usually accompanies their buyer. Sometimes the buyer's reach out directly to the listing agent for a private home tour. The issues arise when the house isn't secured and tidied up after a showing...or a visitor accidentally leaves a refrigerator door ajar...or uses the restroom without checking if the toilet stops. The listing agent should be there to make sure all of these whoopsies do not occur.
Yep. Don't mess with your agent. They act in your best interests and try to get the most for your house so they can get paid as well. I have a good agent and they like me because I do repairs! I have been keeping in touch with agent as it is getting time to sell and WE might be able to make some money. They are also helpful in getting funds transferred, finding inspectors, etc.
Hi there! It really depends on the services your agent is providing. I offer a ton of service for my clients so I expect them to pay a certain percentage for my services. Honestly, I would interview 3 agents. Find the one you really like, and ask for a reduce commission. Maybe ask to take 1% off to start. If they agree...great. If they don't, they may come back and negotiate. If they do say no, that's probably a good agent knowing their value too. I will do a video on this one. Its a great question.
@@AudraLambert No offense but, the cost of service is not directly linked to the price of the property. Thus % commissions never made sense anyway. How does selling a $500,000 home cost any less than selling a $1M home in terms of the services an agent provides?
@@tharais There is some truth to that...however, most agents spend more money on higher priced homes. Higher priced homes usually...and I say usually...don't sell as quickly as other lower priced homes (Unless we're talking about the past 3 years). Also, there is more risk for the agent representing higher priced homes.
We’ve been burned twice by real estate agents. Our agent when we were purchasing decided to also represent the sellers of the house we were purchasing and from then on represented solely the interest of the sellers asking us to overlook a slipping foundation and asking us to sign that we would be responsible for liability with the fence down (pool in backyard) while the foundation was being repaired, even though we didn’t have an interest in the house while this was being done. Second was when we sold another house the agent was having a feud with another agent in her office. That agent happened to represent the buyer. Headaches all around. Not good experiences.
Oh goodness, those sound like very unpleasant situation and I am so sorry to hear that. I wish you more smooth and professional experience on your next purchase or sale.
The internet totally changed the landscape for both realtors and customers. The buyer now looks at 'homes for sale' on a screen, no more days of hoping the realtor finds a suitable place. Easy money for the realtor.
Definitely agree that relying on lockbox access for showings should be the exception rather than the rule. The listing broker should provide coverage for showings. Prospective buyers can view the property (with their agent if applicable) and can ask questions, etc and then can conduct necessary conversations etc offsite.
Nice, one of the first UA-cam RE agents who tells it like it is. Too bad that I am not in Orange County. Here in Las Vegas we tend to have a lot of "new" RE agents that don't know what they are doing most times. If you were here, I would definitely have a word with you the next time I list a house or to buy. One always needs a good buyers agent.
Ahhh...thanks so much. Really appreciate a comment. By the way, one of my top agents who was my right hand gal, moved to Vegas. If you ever need any real estate assistance, Id be happy to connect you. She's a doll. We work the same way. Have a wonderful day...appreciate the support.
Bang!! 😮😮1:29 she says “listing agents put a lot of time, money and effort into marketing you property”. No, no they don’t. She beating you are naïve and believe they do. I have bought/sold 6 houses (properties) in the last 50 years and I will state as a fact based on my personal experience agents did not do that for me or for the properties I was interested in buying, likely over a 100. I was not in some strange place of depressed area this was in Charlotte, NC. I stoped watching at 1:35.
Now now...sounds like you hired the wrong agents. I am going to do a video with invoices showing you what I put into marketing my houses. To be fair, most agents don't. You just need to find the right ones. How many agents did you interview when selecting your agents you hired? Highly recommend you find a good agent...it makes all the difference.
Thank you for your prompt response. Unfortunately, it’s late now, so I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to reply. I’m looking forward to it, as your response has given me much to work with. Have a pleasant evening.
Andrea, I did initiate this discussion and being nudged by your “Now, now,” which seemed to imply I deserved a time out. Now I finished watching your video and found it interesting. I disagree with your claim about realtors “spending a lot of time, money, and effort marketing your property.” and in you response to me you even said “most don’t”. While your statement might have held true in the long past, the real estate business underwent a significant shift with the emergence of MLS, Zillow, and other online platforms in the early 2000s, forever altering (for the better) the real estate industry. It’s now impractical to try to surpass or outspend the internet, and you are undoubtedly aware of this reality. By the way, in most states, sellers have the right to terminate a realtor without warning or cause despite any listing agreement. don’t sign a agreement that takes that right away from you. Hiring a realtor doesn’t mean you’re stuck with them and yes I interview and would surly hire you. You my dear, have spunk.
Great presentation however you forgot to mention that lockboxes are really not a bad idea for vacant properties, especially condos-gives an agent possibility to show the property at any time where the security is present and they have to sign up before even retrieving the key from the lock box. I’m sure that you’d agree!
I was an agent for 10 years before I got fired - but open houses were great for me, used to watch TV do my laundry and have a nice hot shower sometimes,,,,, anyone that allows open houses is crazy if you ask me. I also used to eat very well, cookies, cheese, and sometimes the bar was good also.
Hi Kelly...this drives me nuts! What are you paying them to do exactly? They should be representing you...if they are not at the property, who are they representing? I am recording a video on this today. Drives me nuts!
@@AudraLambert Thank you. No disrespect to your profession, but man realtors in my area are paid far too much for the effort, hours, and $ they put into a sale. Homes sell fast in my area regardless of marketing, so I agree -- they should at least show up!
Everyone should know how to sell one’s property. It is not difficult at all and saves lots of money in the process. Just learn it, you’ll never regret it!
Tough market? That's when FSBOs are at their best. A six percent commission split between the buyer and seller can set a property above similar properties. Even a really good agent is an expensive luxury. Luxuries are the first to go in a tough environment.
@@AudraLambert several yrs ago my friends went on vacation. Their RE agent couldn’t be there for a showing either so my friends asked me to show. I did research on the house explained about the Jersey Devil area it was in AND Napoleon’s brother had been the next door neighbor. Half of house was from the 1700’s and the other half was modern. Unique! They bid on it and offered $20,000. More. I intimated there were other bidders. There weren’t. When my friends came home, these people signed the papers and I thought I should look into this profession. But I am a social worker and I found out that RE agents possibly intimate many things. It did not fit me well. But I loved it when the people were excited in buying it. I felt like I had a winning hand in Blacjack.
I sold my house years ago. I was still living in the house. Thank GOD the buyers came on the wrong day. I was cooking & I was able to show them the house. I had a new air & heating system. New carpet new refrigerator & other new things. I really didn't know I had to move so soon. I had just also put a new roof on the house. It stayed on the market for a couple of days. I talked to the couple & I found out the man was a veteran so he didn't have to put a large down payment on the house. It worked out great for everyone. I had to move to another state & found another great home on the Internet. My realtor knew a realtor in that state who was of great help. This is a great video. GOD Bless u for your work!!!
Thanks Bridgette...really appreciate your support and I am so glad you are getting value out of my videos.
@@AudraLambert you're welcome. They're great & informative videos!!!
Like ur outfit
One thing I have ALWAYS refused from a realtor is an open house. I've heard that fewer than 2% of houses are sold via open house. Realtors love open houses so they can pass out their cards to those (allegedly) looking to buy a house. I don't want someone that is merely out for an afternoon drive to see my house is an open house so they can tramp through the place looking when they're not interested in buying. Some could even be looking for a way to break into the place.
I'll be honest, Open Houses are a lot of work for agents if they do it well. I like to recommend an Open House the first weekend the property goes live in MLS. Most buyers look for their homes on the internet or on their phones. They don't want to be bothered making an appointment with their realtor. They'd rather wait for an open house then bug their realtor. Open Houses aren't as busy as they once were because buyers and your neighbors already know what the house looks likes on line. One of the hardest things to do for a listing agent is getting buyers to come view the property. I am not against Open Houses...but I wouldn't go over board. I hear your concerns and they are valid.
@@AudraLambert Audra, If you do have an Open House, can you still require that Buyers who attend are pre-approved, even if they're not with their Agent? Please and thanks!
@@ladikmk I would bet that most all open houses are attended by alleged buyers without their agents.
I would rather not have an Open House. I have installed brand new carpeting in all 3 bedrooms and hate the thought of John Q Public tromping through with their shoes on. I plan to go with 'By Appointment Only'. @@AudraLambert
Another excellent video, Audra. Love the no lockbox philosophy. I’m actually amazed how many property owners allow it.
Asking a real estate agent whether you should buy a home right now is like to asking an alcoholic whether they think you should have a drink lol. Homes in my neighborhood that cost around $450k in sales in 2019 are now going for $800k to $950k. Every seller in my neighborhood is currently making a $350k profit. Simply unreal. In all honesty, deflation is what we require. The only other option is for many people to go bankrupt, which would also be bad for the economy. That is the only way to return to normal.
If anything, it'll get worse. Very soon, affordable housing will no longer be affordable. So anything anyone want to do, I will advise they do it now because the prices today will look like dips tomorrow. Until the Fed clamps down even further, I think we're going to see hysteria due to rampant inflation. You can't halfway rip the band-aid off.
Home prices will come down eventually, but for now; its best to offset some of your real estate investments and get into the financial markets or gold. The new mortgage rates are crazy, add to that the recession and the fact that mortgage guidelines are getting more difficult. Home prices will need to fall by a minimum of 40% (more like 50%) before the market normalizes. If you are in cross roads or need sincere advise on the best moves to take now its best you seek an independent advisor who knows about the financial markets.
@@hasede-lg9hj Impressive can you share more info?
There are a handful of experts in the field. I've experimented with a few over the past years, but I've stuck with Annette Marie Holt for about 4 years now, and her performance has been consistently impressive. She’s quite known in her field, look-her up.
I just looked this lady up out of curiosity and found her web page easily. Read through her qualifications, which were all very impressive. So I scheduled a call with her.
Been a contractor for over 50 years... You said everything perfect!!!
If others don't like honesty you know it. It is called: when it stinks, it's not perfume!!
All the very best in health and prosperity. 😊
Johnny, thank you so much! Really appreciate the vote of confidence. Health and Prosperity to you too!!
Hate the sound effects thought something was falling in my roof
@@AudraLambert: Dear Audra, very good advice. You are a true professional
Nevertheless, no agent is worth 6% or even 5%, or 2%, No! 1% percent is the right answer! That’s what it is in most of the world such as England, a place I have visited 40 times.
And here you are well aware that the monopoly has been broken, and the dual agency fraud is gone forever, very soon!
No one has Gotten more easy money from me as a builder than real estate agents here in California. Most of them are totally incompetent. (Same for con-quackters).
I know you don’t want to hear this but you have to understand how much people without realtors. I’m in the building industry and I know it very well. The realtor industry is despised because they are so overpaid and under qualified.
OMG! This is my 3rd video, and I’m only halfway through, just wanted to tell you I appreciate you! This is my 1st sell, and I’m going to be SO thankful when our home is on the market and “SOLD!”
My realtor did an open house. He did not show the house until the day of the OH. We had 8 solid offers. We got $20,000 over asking. I think our timing was everything. We are so grateful we took his advice.
Very smart. That is what I recommend for my clients too. Congrats...and I am glad you found a great realtor to represent you in the sale of your home. Well done!!
Having a real estate agent in your circle of trust is an oxymoron. Real estate agents work for only one person......themselves.
@@waltersickinger1499 well some do feel that way…personally, I work for my clients. I get a lot of value out of it.
Totally agree, our agent waited and presented all 9 offers at once. @@orangebirddog
That's the best idea I've ever heard from a realtor.
Thank you! We have worked with realtors in selling and purchasing 4 homes in different states. We’ve had a couple really good realtors, couple horrible ones, and mostly mediocre ones. Learned much of what you said the hard way. Great advice! Yes do your own research. Discuss terms before you sign. Negotiate terms you aren’t comfortable with. Interview several realtors. Don’t use a newbie just because they are your cousin.
Amazing...yes, agree 100%. So glad you had good realtors you worked with...the horrible ones are not so fun. Appreciate your comment
We are all ignorant consumers in the areas of life that we don't have expertise in. Such as buying a vehicle or a home or doing electrical work,etc. So it is hard to pick a good person for a number of jobs. The factor that I see is that many agents get good reviews from their buyers/sellers because those buyers/ sellers like their agents. Not necessarily that the agents are good at their jobs but they are personable and the deal closed to everyone's satisfaction so they consider them a good agent. It is mainly when deals go sideways that clients find out what their agents are really made of. As agents we see what the other agents are really like. Do they know their stuff or are they just fluff? I cannot tell you how many agents work out of their areas of expertise when the commissions are high. It is sad to see. Do they actually educate their clients along the way or do they do the minimum to keep in touch? So many things go into being good agents vs being mediocre. Showing the first house the other day to a client I had just started to work with. Lower price point and a rehabbed house so pulling out kitchen drawers and looking the HVAC unit and walking the floor for foundation issues blew them away. So when I pulled out the drawers and showed her how they were sticking and dragging and the spots were the foundation felt soft, she started telling me their horror story with another agent a few weeks later because she had grown to trust me that I wanted to make sure they knew problems and were willing to work with those problems or discard that home as a potential buy. But I don't know if most agents just walk a house and let the buyers look without helping them look for potential issues that they need to be aware of. And the less experience an agent has the greater the chance that they haven't learned everything yet. Need a good broker for guidance. Do I still make mistakes? Yes as I don't know everything.
@FayeTaylor. You sound like one of the good ones we had. They did a lot to educate us and fought to get us what we needed. They had experience. The horrible ones had experience but we felt like they were using that against us and for their own benefit. They often tried to rush us and just wanted the deal to be done with as little of their time as possible.
Wish I had watched this video before I sold my house. I can see why you’re a top agent. Great info!
Wow..thank you so much for your comment. Means a lot. Wish I could have got the message to you sooner:)
Don't remodel kitchen or bathroom - you don't get your money back - just make cosmetic changes and do a thorough clean of entire property.
I was always told bathrooms and kitchens were the rooms you would recoup your money from, or make more in the sale. Outdated baths can be a hassle and expensive to replace. Audra - could you please give me your thoughts? Thank you! Mary
In my experience, cleanliness is most important, and if a bathroom or kitchen is gross, and cleaning will not fix it, then a remodel will garner a quicker sale. Whether you 'recoup' your investment is subjective.
Many people do clueless renovations, spending money unwisely on trendy junk. A good renovation should reflect the nature of the home's style. Keep it simple.
Depends on the house. Also, don't hire a contractor to do the reno. Do the contracting yourself and just hire the various trades people that are needed for the reno. Watch some youtube videos on the steps for kitchen and bathroom renos and the role of each tradesperson. It's actually not that complicated.
@@leafyutube I repeat: "Many people do clueless renovations." It is easy for a few people, but if a client knows very little about sub-trade work, it is easy to receive sub-standard work. Also, a contractor has sub-trades on speed-dial, so for any time sensitive matters, hiring random sub-trades might not achieve a timely response. Like any field of work, it looks easy to the outsider, because it is a 'professionals' job to apply skill and technique, which makes a process seem easy.
I was a RealEstate agent for 14 years and was always honest and worked my butt off ! I came to the conclusion that basically most people do not trust Real Estate Agents and think they are always lying ! I dealt with some wonderful clients and some people that just want to use you for your knowledge! So People, not all Real Estate agents lie! But, there are Real Estate agents that are all about numbers and very quick talkers and their goal is to sell as many properties as they can quickly! The big wig fastest talker isn’t always your best choice!
I hear ya. There are good agents and bad ones. This video is just meant to guide consumers away from some of the shoddy ones....there are not so good people in every industry. Appreciate your comment:)
Cathy you may have been honest , but I dealt with a few real estate investors for several years. The real estate agents that I met and worked with were always trying to screw over other agents and possible buyers. I saw it and heard it more than once, the lack of professionalism and integrity . I will give you 1 example , I notified the agent of a serious electrical issue that I discovered accidentally. The agent said that the inspector didn’t catch it so- we are not having this conversation. I could give you multiple examples of no integrity in agents because they were always trying to steal each other’s listings and buyers. They would backstab and gossip about the agent with potential buyers .
@@bobdees6428 Ugh!! I hate that! As realtors we have a code of ethics we are SUPPOSED to abide by. Unfortunately, the National Association of Realtors does not do a good job of enforcing their codes of ethics. Make me sad. You example is just unbelievable. Thanks for your comment.
Many do lie. I posted a comment today above that will clue you into how we a caught a lying realtor. If I could get her and other realtor caught on my surveillance system sign a release I would put the 50 videos up on You tube. I bet that would be a highly viewed You tube channel.
@@jtwood4925Yep! I caught my mom’s realtor sabotaging the sale of her house (small town, really long story) and I caught ON VIDEO my realtor offering to get my husband and me to sell this couple our house for less if he could list their house AND he would take a lower percentage on their house. So MY HUSBAND AND I got to pay a sweetheart deal for the realtor and this buyer! Fortunately, the couple didn’t bite or I would have had to show them the videos.
Yes, I had signs stating my house was under video surveillance AND no cameras were hidden. They were VERY obvious! And this idiot realtor STILL did that kind of stuff.
Great video! Especially appreciate your input on not using a lock box and having a listing agent present at showings. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful! I do think having the agent there during showings is important. If they are not going to be there and/or have a lockbox present, then you should be paying less commission...just my opinion.
When I was interviewing realtors in preps for selling my home, one gentleman was recommended to me by a friend. Said realtor gave his spiel, which was how he would probably NOT be able to sell my house. That was the thrust of his entire brief! My wife and I were stunned to say the least. Anyway, I thanked him for his time and scratched him off the list. I did call him after I did choose a realtor (who sold our house within a week) to let him know I was going with someone else. Believe it or not, this guy was very, very disappointed and a little bit angry that I hadn't chosen him. I still shake my head when I think of this.
That is just not cool! I am always amazed at some of the experiences I hear people have when they are selling their homes. So glad you found a great realtor. Thanks for sharing. Appreciate your comment.
What was his reason why he thought that he couldn't sell your house?
Reverse psychology backfired on him! Thought he was gonna win u with a show of humility and whoops! His game plan failed 😮
Why can't you answer a simple question?
Realtors don't always know the market. I sold a house and forced the realtor to list $3k more than she wanted to. The house was on the market for 6 hours with Open House. Five offers with three over listing. Sold for $5K over listing!
I don’t know where you live but I’m in New Zealand and I had an agent want to list our small farm for 1.4 million . I ended up doing everything myself and listing it and sold it in 6 weeks for nearly 1.6 million . The guy nearly cost us 200,000 dollars . He also bullshitted about some things , telling us he had buyers etc but he just wanted the contract signed . Pure middlemen they are .
@@deanwitt7903 The cheaper it is, the easier it is for them to sell it, Maybe even to family.
we are in Cumbria, England, UK and we had disaster with two estate agents so we took our home off the market and we are praying to GOD to send us a buyer. More chances to find someone real. So many timewasters around ;-( Pray for us, Tilery Farm. Thank you very much xxx
The agent undervalued your home to generate more interest. It’s a common trick unfortunately.
@@danielcjohns5343 At the time, the market was growing 1.5% per month so that reasoning doesn't work. The agent just wasn't keeping up with the market
You are right ! Used car salesmem, auto mechanics , and the worst is lawyers !
Realtors get a bad rap too. You just got to find a good one.
Thank you- Valuable Advice. I would add that unless you are dealing with a recommended, experienced, & ethical professional, DO NOT TRUST your agent to act in your Best interests. In my personal experience the agent will act in their own interest first to get the sale as quick & easily as possible ( even if it means using private financial info against you). The seller’s interest will be an afterthought.
Well, I say don't trust anyone. The people in my life have proven to be trustworthy over time. Be very careful who you select as you agent. Make sure you look at past reviews and ask for references...and actually call these references. Thanks for commenting.
Yep. During the Great Recession, there were so many pocket listings in the SF Bay Area that it wasn't funny. The insider dealing was off the charts. So much for ethics and fiduciary responsibilities.
@billybigelow, you said a mouthful and I wholeheartedly agree. A realtor attempted a stunt like that with me. We knew each other well and had done a prior transaction, but when we looked to this particular realtor to sell our primary, he suggested we list at only a few thousands more than a builder-grade neighboring home that had sold after being on the market for four months. Mind you, we had many upgrades from builder-grade, both inside and outside the home. No surprise, we got an offer quick and at the asking price from his friend, an investor. They, of course, didn't say to me that they knew each other, but it was clear that our realtor's loyalty wasn't to us. We rejected the low-ball offer and dismissed the realtor, who by the way, uses lock boxes and allowed his investor friends to scope out the joint to plan how they wanted to try to play us for suckers. It was orchestrated and many were involved and working at the interest of one investor, who blocked others from seeing the property and who our realtor was "in bed with." Not literally in bed with, but figuratively speaking. Used car salesman are only doing child's play when compared to realtors. In fact, there are a couple of brokerage firms that I will not ever do business with. I am being nice by not naming names. Just know to beware, everyone.
@@tharais Very sad. Amazing how people find opportunities when times are tough. Insider dealing is not cool. I agree with you.
@@AudraLambertwhat if the realtor has the most sales in your area and has no reviews. We haven't signed a listing agreement with the realtor yet, she was very sharp in her presentation and made a lot of good suggestions for improvements to the house- my concerns are that she won't work without a lockbox, she provided a listing agreement with the list price as blank saying that will be determined closer to the time that the home down the street closes - at a price that is lower than what another home on our street sold for a few weeks ago according to the selling agent sharing the offer details verbally with her. The closest most recent sale is a home that's 2K square feet, lot is very small and closer to neighbors close to power lines, and sold for over $1.2M. Our home is over 3K sq ft, backs onto 50 foot douglas fir trees, no power lines near our home, park with play equipment and half court basketball across the street with a 3 car garage. Our builder has a better reputation for quality build. She says that home is not a good comp. The soldc 2K square foot house value per square foot would make our home worth $400K more than what she wants to list our home at. She has a clause for dual agency. She talks about how dual agency is not a problem. She wants to show our home before several windows are repaired. She's pressing for showing the home before several significant repairs are complete, she won't have someone from her office here when buyers look at the house, she insists that the lockbox technology is very secure and she knows who is going into the home and realtors risk losing their license if they do anything wrong. Our market has almost no homes for sale (Snoqualmie, WA) and our realtor just listed a home for sale in AZ for $2M. After watching your videos and finding other RE advice, I am uncomfortable with our realtor.
She keeps asking us what the least amount of money we will accept. She points out that if we sell at what other homes are selling for we will have capital gains (we have lived in the home for 18 years), why do we need to sell for so much. She can call other realtors and they will confirm that asking for what looks like comps is too high. One comp sold for $200 k over list recently.
We aren't needing to sell, our interest is close to 2%, mortgage payment is significantly less than rent for the most affordable apartment in the state and we are retired. We have been approached by a number of realtors representing buyers about selling. BUT! Our realtor cannot show me where we can buy a home for what she insists our home will sell for.
Love your video. Very good advice. I sold my home a while back and made many mistakes. Let him pressure us on price, 6 month listing, lockboxes, had to be out of town for our Open House, and put me on the list of a ton of “to-do’s”, while he did little. The buyer was even an “in-house” deal in his Broker’s office. He even delayed our closing payments for an hour while he had an issue about his commission check. We sold, but left money on the table (he felt more like the buyers’ rep than ours). Needless to say, we were not big fans by the end.
I am so sorry to hear this...sounds just awful. Truly unbelievable. Thanks for sharing your experience. I hope to help people avoid these types of experiences.
That's why hell is full of people with "good" intentions.
My husband was willing to go with 6 months because the realtor said that is what everybody does. I said NO, I will give them 3 months and only after they go through the house and let us know their thoughts. We had one want us to paint all walls for a refresh, they were painted a few months prior and were fine. They wanted us to tear up all the carpet and replace it, nothing wrong with the carpet that was there, it wasn't that old. They wanted us to do very expensive landscaping, oh and they had recommendations as to what companies to use for all these things. We would have had to spend more than the profit would be. We had several say they would not do less than a 6-month contract. I said fine, go away. Did not do the ridiculous things several of the retailors wanted us to do. I put some things in storage, I staged the house and it sold with no issue. Be careful.
Excellent advice and I would like to ad some advice from the prospective of a seller.
1. Never use an agent that contacts you out of the blue via phone, rings your doorbell or by mail asking if you are interested in selling your home. That goes especially after your listing term is up and your home is taken temporarily off the market.
2. Never use an agent that doesn't do this full time.
3. Never use an agent that works out of their home without an office.
4. Never use an agent that doesn't have pictures of the home taken by a professional. If he claims that he is a professional then ask to view the photos before they are used in the listing.
thanks for your feedback
I had a realtor that I used in the past. I tried to checkout and go with another agent. My old realtor didn’t like that and came to confront us. So much for using the new agent
I sold in 2021 with a flat fee broker. “Staged” my own house, 4 rooms were empty, and I’ve bought empty houses before. I think staging is a scam. Got comps from the broker, looked up comps myself online, and priced my own house. Sign in the yard, beautiful photos of the house, listings on all the sites, people looked at it, sold for over asking. In the 90s I sold my house myself, no internet. Sign in the yard, flyer in a box, realtors called me, showed the house, sold.
Good for you!! You can definitely stage your own home..it sounds like everything worked out in your favor. Congrats! Well done.
I would also say that your method may not work in all markets and all price ranges. I’m not a realtor, so I’m not biased. But staging is definitely not a scam! You even said you staged your house yourself. So your statements are contradictory.
@@traceye.6428 Hello again. When I use the word staging, I mean intentionally preparing your house for sale...decluttering, moving furniture around to make the room look bigger, making sure every room has a purpose, adding furniture/accessories so that the house shows in its best light. There are professional staging companies out there that will recommend to home owner to remove certain items, declutter areas, and then they will bring in their own decor/furnishings to complete the project. On all of my listings, I will offer professional staging for free because I believe in it. I am putting money where my mouth is. If the house does not need staging, I will reduce my commission accordingly. A lot of agents don't offer this service. Most home owners can watch videos and do it themselves. De-Cluttering and cleaning is actually the biggest part.
@@AudraLambert hi Audra, yes I agree with all of your points 100%. Sorry, I was replying to a previous commenter who said “staging was a scam!” I believe staging is a vital component of selling a home. Especially, professional staging. Sorry for the confusion. 🙂
@@traceye.6428 I used my own furniture. And I didn’t paint anything. Every room was a different color. I was still living there. I’ve bought and sold empty houses. I’m aware there are staging companies, but I have no idea why someone would pay to have their empty house filled with furniture to sell the house. That’s just weird to me. Sorry. I don’t get it.
We have moved many times and bought and sold quite a few houses. Wehave learned much of this info by experience, but I dont believe I have ever seen such a concise, practical, and wise presentation from a realtor. Well done.
We love you Audra! Ethical, professional and a superb source of valuable information -- invariably top-notch advice!
Ahhh...you just. made my day!! Thanks so much!!
My house sold in 3 weeks because I told my realtor to be there and he was there. The third person purchased. Vero Beach Florida. Thi😊s was October 2023. We closed in 8 weeks. Cash buyer😅
Marilyn, I am so happy for you...and good for you!🙌
Maybe your house sold under market value...3 weeks, lol however if that happened under the right conditions meaning the house sold for market value then I have to say you are blessed !!! And you have God's favor 🙏
Outstanding video. I violated every rule in the past.
I'm in Michigan and over the years have bought and sold 5 houses. Never had the listing agent been at showings. It has always been lockbox with the buyers agent needing to be present. The only time i have viewed a house with a sellers representative being there was open houses, never during a private showing.
I've been very impressed with the realtor I've been working with in FL for many reasons. An additional one: we happened to be chatting about crazy insurance ptices on hard to insure homes. She told me about the worst case she had ever encountered. An older couple from out of state contacted her and they only wanted to see one house - and they wanted her to video tour it for them. It was an older and very unique home - and the couple discovered their policy was going to cost them $7,000/yr (pricey home, closer to the coast?). The worst part was, the couple didnt want to pay for an inspection and just wanted to come and move in without even viewing it for themselves. Sounds nuts to me - all that money and refusing a @$500+ inspection fee? My realtor was horrified and ended up paying for the inspection herself. I told her she shouldn't have - it was their choice. She said she couldn't, in good conscience, go through with it otherwise and the couple refused all other houses. She was concerned that they were older and possibly getting themselves into a money pit or unsafe conditions.
Well, that does not sound like an ideal situation. I am very impressed the agent purchased a home inspection for them. That's ethics. Love it. Thanks so much for sharing.
Love your videos! I flip houses and had an unsupervised lockbox situation while selling a house. Upon checking on the property, I found doors left unlocked on (4) different occasions by the Buyers Realtors, even after making my Realtor aware each time. I never worked with her again. I contract that dialog between the Realtors must take place after each showing now.
Oh wow! So sorry to hear about your experience. It happens a lot, unfortunately. Thanks so much for sharing. People need to hear this!
@thisoldjeeper5090 I'm sorry that this happened to you. But you really should not blame this on your Real Estate Agent. Unfortunately, even when Listing Agents put showing instructions in the MLS, the Buyer's Agents do not always follow those instructions. These irresponsible Buyer's Agents who don't double check to make sure that doors are all locked or who don't follow the showing instructions give all Real Estate Agents a bad name. I personally use only electronic Supra lockbox on my listings because it records who went into the house at a certain time, so it is easier to find out who was responsible.
Capital gains seems to be a large deterrent to flipping
Absolutely agreed on NO ✋️ LOCK BOXES, especially nowadays you never know whose criminal activities could have done onto the property, especially if there were other's disadvantages amenities such as pools.. Period..
I absolutely love what I have learned from your Channel! Wish you were an Agent in my town!
Ahhh...thanks so much!! Really appreciate your kind compliment. Means a lot to me.
I totally agree!
@@MrMarkS-lg7yk Ahhh...thanks so much!!
Four years ago(pre Covid), our neighbor had an open house. Each prospective buyer had a 15 minute appointed time to peruse the house(Columbia,Md). Over 45 people and their agents came in over the weekend. The eventual buyers were the only ones my wife and I had opportunity to talk with. We told them about the great neighborhood and neighbors, the schools, shops and entertainment availability in the area. They bid up over everybody else (having much equity from their Connecticut home). That was then, I wonder how open houses do now. Great series content! Thanks
Yes, we did have scheduled time frames for open houses during Covid. As realtors, we are no longer required to have a posted set time schedule. We just post an open house from a certain time frame and people show up. Interestingly enough, we aren't getting as many visitors through the open house as we once did. Most buyers/neighbors will view the home online before coming to see the property. If they don't like what they see on line, they don't show up. Its not as frenzied as it was during Covid. Thanks for watching my videos...appreciate the support.
Just got this (2 months late!). But , you're very welcome. Keep up the good , honest work!
Not selling or buying but I watched the entire video because it’s was interesting and informative!!! Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it! Really appreciate your comment;)
The realtor who listed my house insisted on a lockbox and did just what you said....she sat back and left it to others not in her office. Sadly, my home was burglarized while listed and I lost many treasured memories. I let the agent go and sold the property myself in less than 6 weeks. This was a time before computers or internet, when you had to sift through the MLS book and put ads in rag papers. I would never allow an open house in today's age and wholeheartedly agree with you about lockboxes, so will never have one put on when I sell again, Thank you for your very knowledgeable and informative videos.
You are so very welcome!! So sorry to hear about your experience. :(
Very helpful. We are contemplating selling in a few years. I know many realtors in the area but have decided I won’t hire a friend but will interview several agents as you suggested. I am not a fan of staging. It always looks fake and designed to make the space look larger but not for realistic comfort or living. Also bland and trendy. Thanks for the tips.
This is such good advice. I've made a couple of the mistakes you mentioned when I was younger and I had one of those lemon agents. I'm not selling anytime soon but I'm going to subscribe to your channel so I'll be prepared when I do. Thanks for teaching us how to be a professional seller, not someone just ripe for being taken advantage of.
So glad you got some benefit. Just trying to help people out there...there are a lot of lemons out there...some really good ones too.
Mom advised me to set a higher commission on buyer than seller agent. Seller agent agreed and it was in the contract. Then tried to renegotiate and even went so far as telling my attorney her amount due was higher. Luckily, I caught that before closing but be sure to check your closing docs for commissions.
Ugh...I hate to hear this!! You are absolutely right...make sure to check your closing statements thoroughly to avoid this type of behavior. So sorry to hear about this. Not cool.
If a listing realtor can’t show up for the showing-they don’t deserve the commission. I would never allow that.
As a fellow agent, there is one thing to remember….real estate is both global and local. Meaning, not everyone subscribes to the same customs everywhere. In this case, there is very limited inventory where I live and too many buyers. It’s still a seller’s market. Also, where I live, Supra lockboxes are the industry standard and NO listing agent accompanies buyer agents and their clients. It makes buyers less comfortable or able to talk freely. The Supra boxes show exactly who is at the house and when. So if there is a problem, it can be narrowed down quite a bit unless there are back to back showings (where it will usually be reported by the next agent).
I hear ya. I still hate lockboxes. Visitors can still take advantage of the property. In fact, one of my youtube subscribers just commented about having a visitor stealing from her. They couldn't figure out who stole what because there were so many visitors on the same day. Sometimes you have 10 showings in one day on a property. How in the world do you narrow it down to who could have damaged or stole something on a property? You cant! I show all my properties privately. I treat all my properties like they are a $10million dollar listing. Of course, I am going to scrub every buyer that makes an appointment. I don't need a herd of buyers through a house that they can't buy. If I can't show a property I am listing, I have two other agents that can support me on my team. Its that important to me. I don't care if the buyer is uncomfortable if I am there...they are a guest in my clients house...and they need to treat it as such. I do agree that every area is different as to what is customary and non-customary in the area.
@AudraLambert You still might not know who took what even if you're there. It happened to a family member who was present with buyers. ☹
@@Jennsylvania You're right...but if you as the listing agent are present...there is a lot less that could happen. Minimize any risk is what I recommend.
That must have been the case when this idiot got her license she can’t sell anything she is all fraud !
She is the typical real estate agent that thinks she can sell just because last few years the market has been higher than ever before!
I would not let her sell a trash can !
Only an idiot would hire this bitch
Just DO NOT LEAVE ANYTHING VALUABLE in your home at this time, the only things in the home on show should be for staging the hime, things that you are not going to care if they break or are stolen, if you cannot tolerate tis advice you are very controlling and probably have other issues 🤷♀️
I live in a rural area and leaving your house unattended while it is on the market is an open invitation to anybody who wants to break in (which is exactly what happened to the home i currently own).
I am sooo sorry to hear that. It just breaks my heart. Thanks for your comment. More people need to hear this.
Oh my god that happened to me!!! But you can't be there 24-7. I called my agent in an emergency situation. It's a rural area. I was gone from the house for 10 minutes. And when I returned the people that were scheduled to come the next day had actually came that same day WITHOUT the agent and were roaming inside the house. I was gone for 10 minutes and I had left the front door unlocked. And in that ten minutes these people were there going through the house. My agent couldn't believe it! I left the door unlocked and they didn't know the lockbox combination. Yes, the rural area thing was a nightmare. It was my parents inherited house. People would drive up the driveway and look in the windows while I was living there. It was so awful, the rural area angle.
@@kennethlee4894 Yes! In rural areas, houses are spread out and secluded. Your next door neighbor can be too far away to watch over your property while you are away. In my case, I lived 50 miles away while this home was vacant and with a "For Sale" sign up with an obvious vacant house and no nearby neighbors, it was a golden invitation to anyone to help themselves, day and night.
@@kennethlee4894 Are you kidding me? That is just rude and illegal. People can't come into your house without your permission. That's is scary. So sorry to hear that.
I had someone dig up and steel one of my newly planted trees from the backyard. It was a tall lavender crape myrtle.. expensive tree.
The lazy and deceitful ones are ALWAYS offended; you're calling them out! 😁
If you move out of your house while it's for sale, you may have to have "vacant home insurance" (at considerable cost also) to cover the house while it is vacant, especially if you have a mortgage on the property. This can vary between states, mortgage companies, and insurers.
Thank you for the comment. That is very good to know about the "vacant home insurance". Very good point...appreciate it.
Insurance first question,is anyone living there
Yup if they're offended than you found out and just move on
I found that out the hard way when I put my mom in assisted living...somehow her homeowners insurance found out it wasn't occupied and they canceled her. I had to scramble to find a high risk policy before the bank threatened to call the loan. I had to sell the house under duress. Total nightmare
Add a vacancy endorsement and you're good. Also, it's not like that has to be done the day you move out.
If you're still residing in the general area and frequently at the property, I usually handle the situation accordingly, as my response to their loyalty and the value of our relationship. 💯🏠
I just made every mistake possible and I am relisting. I can't even express my gratitude towards you for doing these types of videos. Thank you! Not every agent is ethical as you said, and good ones are hard to find! Your clients are lucky
A LOT are unethical, you can sell your house on your own. Realtors lie about there being an agent that represents the buyer when really your agent offered them a few thousand to PRETEND so they can get a full 6 percent. They have all kinds of tricks and are just looking to get wealthy selling homes but are very dishonest with you. Tampa FL is very bad as well as ST Pete and Clearwater. I am sure every place has greedy dishonest realtors.
personally, its my rule of thumb the more money involved the more financial incentive folks have to be less ethical.
PROPER SCRUTINY/Screening is a must.
Im comparing homes by generation to see which theme I like the most. cuz these modern batch seem to have a nicer facade but the numbers get bigger in price but smaller when it comes to dimensions.
older homes could be bigger but you have older home maintenance issues, its just a mental observation.
its funny how half a million bucks can get a smaller home than my current home. (part of the price is the neighborhood, HOA, lake, gated community, near a booming part of town, and so on, BUT THE HOUSE IS SMALL)
i got to your channel by chance. Was extremely impressed with your sincere unfiltered and unbiased advise for home owners as well as potential buyers/sellers. U have my vote of confidence. Unfortunately I live in Northern Cali. If I am in South Cali, you will be my agent. Thanks Audra.
I really enjoy your content Audra! I’d love to see you do reaction videos to how the staging and pricing is done on current listings. Also, love your style! ❤
Great idea. Will do!! Thanks for compliment!!!
I am impressed with your update with this stocks, but certainly can not determine for tomorrow , I keep asking what's better
As a realtor I agree with everything you said except of lockboxes. Or let me correct myself: as a buyer or an agent I prefer to go and see the property whenever I wasn’t not when listing agent is available. It is too much of time wasted 😊
I hear ya on the convenient factor..however, its really a lot of risk for the seller. Too much can happen if the property isn't watched closely. Thanks for you comment. Appreciate you watching my video:)
Realtor here. Combo lockboxes get people looking for a place to meet their girlfriend, smoke dope or just cause trouble without interference. And there's no record of who visited when. So you want to look conveniently? The guy who visited the same afternoon took out the oven and hauled butt. The only license plate the neighbor remembers seeing is yours. Just trouble my friend.....
@@countrysister700 Lots of trouble comes with lockbox...That's just my opinion.
"Too much time wasted"? You get a commission, you have to be prepared to "waste your time" to earn the commission. If you think it is a waste of your time to accompany a potential buyer in a showing, then you SHOULD immediate get out of this business, period!
@@DriQ-qo7tp it is JUST your opinion.
I am doing pretty well as a Realtor without wasting my time ;)
I'm a Realtor in Orlando, FL. I always enjoy listening to other professionals to hear their perspectives. Of course, each situation is different. I use and love using an electronic lock box, NOT a Combination Lock Box. With an Electronic Lock Box, it is registered to the Agent who is responsible and accountable for any thing that occurs during the showing of the property. As well as a date and time stamp of the showing.
Hello there! The problem with your electronic lockbox is that is someone damages or steals something on the property ( multiple visitors in a day) you can't prove which visitor was the offender. Better yet, even if you had one visitor, you can't prove there was any wrong doing. In my opinion, someone should be there watching the property. I know its a ton more work.
We had a lock box ... it got left unlocked and the front door was open . I just about lost my mind and yelled at the realtor 🙃. They were like oh it's fine nothing happened.... that's what made me so mad. We weren't living in the house at the time, so we went by after being out of town for the weekend and the front door was OPEN. I could see it open from the road 😡. I can't remember if they fired us or we fired them. They left a nasty note for the next realtor too about how difficult we were which was predicated by front door being left wide open on thanksgiving weekend. Absolutely a terrible experience
That's terrible!
Despite fact we've moved (bought/sold) MANY times over the decades, I ALWAYS LEARN SOMETHING VALUABLE from you, your videos. Saving this one for the next go. THANK YOU.
Oh my did I learn from you! Thanks for all the great information. We are about to list our home and this helped so much. A new subscriber now and off to watch more!!
Oh, I am so happy I could have assisted. You're going to do great!! Best of luck to you.
What a Pro! Entertaining as well. Glad you like and respect a few Realtors. Hope I can get in that circle ⭕️
Real Estate Guru
I am in Orange County too. I stumbled across you one morning. I LOVE YOUR STYLE!! You definitely seem 100% authentic!!!
The world needs more of you!!!
How sweet...thank you so much!! Really appreciate your compliment. I love that you are a fellow Orange County neighbor. Who knows, we may run into each other someday. Thanks so much for your support. ❤
I know how you feel. I wrote and published a book for FSBO’s and Realtors called me up and told me I should leave town. They even bashed me during a convention. Anyway I actually published the book to let For Sale Buy Owners know how much work is involved in selling their home. So I used to go after FSBO’s and it actually helped me get listing over the other Realtors. Haha I think that’s what they were mad at.
Now like your husband I do insurance.. but still have unopened boxes of my books.
Thanks for the info and you are right on. A better informed client helps all of to maintain our professionalism.
Thanks
I love your FSBO book. Good for you! I think its important the consumer is educated. Sounds like we think alike. I do agree FSBO don't realize how much work and liability they have. Good work...and thanks for sharing.
Once more, Thank You, Audra.
You have no idea how much I have learned from you.
I am in South Florida, and currently, I'm checking the market to buy in the Central Florida area.
I wish I could find someone with your ethics, morale, and high standards....💪🏻
Wishing you the Best⚘️
Blessings...
You are so very welcome. So happy I could assist in some way. You'll do great when finding a home in Central Florida. You'll find the right agent:). Keep interviewing until you find the right one.
I just accidentally found this video. I am in the process of Dejunking so I can prepare to move in a few years. This is the second house I’ve owned. I never really thought about how to find a proper realtor. So I’m going to look for your other videos for more advice. Thank you.
Hello there!! So glad you found me. It really important to. find the right realtor. Interview at least 3 agents. You'll get a good idea as to which one you this is best suited for the job. I'd be happy to refer you a few agents to interview. No pressure: lambert.homes/referral
This is the 3rd of your videos I have watched. Good info to be aware of.
Glad you like them! Really appreciate your comment. Means a lot.
I think of a Real Estate agent as a specialist.
We hired a absolutely professional to sell our house, cost us a fortune in fees...Was the best move We ever made and the Agent was worth every penny. From someone who does everything himself and a Contractor,You absolutely cannot beat a top specialist in their field.
Patrick, thank you so much for the comment. You are absolutely right...so glad everything worked out in your favor.
I'm a retired Broker, appraiser after 4+ decades in business and I wholeheartedly share your aversion to lock boxes. I always viewed them as a tool for the lazy agent. The reason I'm commenting is that I found cases where homeowners insurance voided their coverage of the property if a lock box was used. I don't know if this still is common, but definitely something a property owner wants a WRITTEN commitment to from their insurer. I have a similar opinion of open houses - just a way for the lazy salesperson to say "See, I'm doing everything possible" you have to drop your price. It IDS a good way for the salesperson to get names to possibly sell into other houses - how nice of you to provide that avenue for them.
Wow..I never heard about the lockbox/insurance coverage rider...I'll check into that. I actually like open houses...trust me, very few people show up now-a-days because the see the property on line. Check out this video, curious your thoughts: ua-cam.com/video/CvCTHPGaObM/v-deo.htmlsi=l8fpC72Zf6t0hQi_
That is a lie about lock boxes !
Great video! We've bought and sold several houses over the years and although we've had experience with all kinds of realtors (a couple REALLY wonderful and some meh), the information you provided reinforced the good things we've done in hiring an agent and also revealed where we could do better. One such point you made was in regard to the buyer's being qualified before even looking at the house. Our last agent did this...made a point of letting us know and, until your video, I didn't understand why it was so important. Thank you so much...I've downloaded your listing agent and buyer's agent interview checklists for future reference.
Agree no lock box & listing member present to safe guard property. I had lockbox once and left my home many times for 2 hours for another realtor to show. 4 times they did not pull front door completely closed to lock it down!!!! Thank God the buyers were not just casing a home to rob, it happens. Also came home to find realtor cards on table w/o prior notice, ceiling fans on, lights left on, a broken 2 ft tall statue beside jacuzzi. When my agent told the showing agent the replacement cost she refused until I called her and asked "should I have just let you call a tow truck instead of pulling you out myself with my truck to get you out of the ditch beside my house during the open house you flew through my yard into? I'll send you my bill". She paid my agent that day lol
Oh Tina, I hear this all the time. That is not good. I am so sorry for your experience. Thanks for sharing...people need to hear this. This drives me bananas!!
Recently bought a house and was amazed at how the selling agency operated. Lots of games go on behind the back of sellers and buyers but this one was quite bad.
The scheme relied on sellers being penny wise but pound foolish.
The selling agency offered 4% commission rather than the 5 or most likely 6 that other realtors asked. Then they under priced the home for a quick sale…I’m talking 25% below actual value! On top of that they kept 3% of the commission and gave buyer agents the measly 1%.. As a result the showing had only a few people show up because the selling agents didn’t want to be bothered with a 1% commission. They also wanted to send a message to this realtor.
So we show up and love the place but are pretty skeptical based on the low price in a hot market AND hot property with 750’ of waterfront. Even though our realtor asked us to pay them 2% we were happy to do that with such a low price on the property.
When you think it through all the seller sees (provided they don’t know the real value of their property) is they paid 4% instead of 6% and their property sold within two days. What could be better than that. On the realtors side they attract more sellers with low commissions and under pricing makes the properties sell rapidly generating fast money. In this case they are going for more turnover that outpaces the profits if they were to sell at the best price which would slow the sale. A quantity over quality sale approach.
This situation hurts the seller but the buyer makes out really great. If I’m ever looking to buy again I will go to this realtor’s website and look at what they’re selling since their way of doing business benefits buyers and not sellers who are their clients.
As far as fixing your house for sale, correct all of the deferred maintenance with a licensed contractor. Use a good, competent home inspector to inspect the home , roof, foundation, pest control and make all of the repairs before you put the house on the market and have all the reports available for inspection when the property is shown. If your house has any deferred maintenance potential buyers overestimate the cost of repairs.
Couldn't agree more!! Great comments.
In my experience, potential buyers underestimate the cost of repairs and other work they might plan to have done. Too many home improvement shows make it look cheap and easy.
@@tharais Well, I think it really depends on the buyer...but I am always amazed at how inexpensively those home improvement shows get "things" done.
And check for mistakes on your credit report!
This is a useful video. "Eventually we're going to wear him down." That reveals exactly why people don't trust the profession. Do lawyer's treat their clients this way? Do accountants treat their clients this way? Do doctors treat their patients this way? I don't know about the U.S., but some Canadian provinces allow self-dealing behind the seller's back, and I've heard agents defend this with things like: "As long as the client gets what I promised, it doesn't matter if I'm making some money on the side, or I have a financial stake in the purchase. " That is not a "profession-client" relationship. That's an dishonest exploitive relationship. The agents where I live are "self-regulating," much like a lawyer or a doctor, a big mistake from the customer's point of view. I can't think of a profession more susceptible to abuses.
Thank you Jon for your response. "Things" have changed a bit where the buyer and the seller are responsible for compensating and choosing their own representation. There are some not so good agents that I would try to avoid (hence the purpose of this video). If you find a good agent, you might think differently. I do hear your frustration...many feel the same way.
Pink looks fantastic! Love it with the Hermes scarf. Great information, BTW.
Thanks so much! Appreciate the compliment.
That's interesting. I've never gone to tour a house with the listing agent present except at an open house. It's always just been me and my buyer's agent.
Hi Audra, great video, I'm an agent in NY where well over 95% of MLS properties have a lockbox. I work with "top" agents who use the same lockbox code for everyone of their listings so they don't have to remember different codes. It's this kind of unprofessionalism that drives me nuts. I can name three off the top of my head who, if I am going to show one of their listings, I know what the codes is before I even receive an approved showing.
WOW!!!
Oh geez, this gives me heart burn. That is just terrible. Unbelievable!! Truly! Thanks for your comment. Good eye opener.
@@katethegardenerHi, I want to do exactly what you do to sell your homes. I would greatly appreciate it if you would please tell me how you market your home for sale and what websites do you use. Thank you!
This should be required viewing for all homeowners looking to sell. Very valuable information. We have owned 7 homes in 50 years on marriage. Oddly enough 3 of our homes were SOLD as a result of an Open House. Even if the neighbors come in to see your home ---great because people know people and that is how you get a house sold.
My lakefront house is in a small and eclectic community of about fifty houses that range from 70 yr-old log cabins to 15-year old brick McMansions. Every house is different age, size and not all have a lakefront. How do you find "comps" when the houses are so diverse? Just curious. Thanks for the great videos..
Thanks for the question! Even professional appraisers would have difficulty appraising some of the homes in your area. Ultimately, the appraisers will give a bump in value for the lakefront views, they will adjust for bedroom count, lots size, square footage, condition of the property etc. I know this sounds obvious, but the house the shares the most similarities is the home that you should probably compare your property too. IF your house is nicer more updated, then give an adjustment up for price...visa versa. I know its tough to evaluate...but you can kinda get a ball park figure if you spend the time researching. Best of luck.
Agree. Comps in our community are useless but the agents always use them.
For sure it's better to list close to what you think the REAL final price will be (I found out the hard way), otherwise, the price will come down BELOw where it would have been with a lower initial asking price!
You are absolutely right!! Couldn't have said it better. Thanks for commenting.
Where I live, all agents use lockboxes, but everyone has to get a code from the listing agent before they can open the lockbox.
I hate that. Why can't the listing agent show the property? Ugh! A lot of areas are run that way with the lockbox. Not my favorite. I thinks it always a good idea to have a member of the listing team present when showing the property. Who knows what's really going on at the showing.
@@AudraLambert This is definitely a concern.
@@anitah2404 I agree!! Drives me nuts.
@@AudraLambertit is simply not the thing done in our area…electronic lockboxes are on with tracking information and require a code from the agent. Certain higher price point homes will ask their agent to be present during showings but that is a client request not standard. In the above comment “Why can’t the listing agent show the property?”, are you saying that you are to be the only agent there or that you the listing agent, the buyer’s agent and buyers are there? And when you are there, where are you during the appointment…in the home near them, sitting on the patio, in the driveway???? Nothing against an agent who is there to protect their clients; on the same hand, I would be telling my clients to write down information they would like to know and we will discuss it wherever we can that is not in the hearing range of the agent. There are privileged conversations that may want to be haven about the best way to write a contract while addressing other things ~ all things a seller’s agent does not need prior information of before receiving the offer.
@@Mo.Vintage15 Hello there...I am at every showing appointment or a trusted member of my team is there...ITS A TON OF WORK! As the listing agent, I will tell my the buyers/buyer's agent a few distinguishing features about the house. I will let them tour the house at their leisure. I did a video about this...you may want to watch it: ua-cam.com/video/ovSFHkxEwEA/v-deo.htmlsi=NJgKiFzPBN3DBpxF.
I love her! Smart and beautiful and a hoot to listen too. So informative too which is so needed in that business.
How do you know if an agent is just bargain pricing your home for a quick sale?
I would do your own research...try to figure out what your house is worth. It's really not that hard unless there hasn't been a lot of closed sales in the area, or you are in a remote area, and or a custom home. The sellers I meet up with are usually not surprised with my recommended list price. The realtor should be able to explain their "comps" to you and justify their recommended list price. If you interview at least 3 agents...you should get a good idea.
You can see the price range for sales of houses in your neighborhood of similar size. Where people go wrong is usually over valuing their home in contrast to similar homes because they are emotionally invested in work they did to improve it or they just imagine their home is so much better. Similar homes in your neighborhood will sell within a pretty tight range. Also being priced at the middle of that range and making sure your home looks good can lead to multiple offers, in a tight market. I never want to price at the top end. Multiple offers do a much better job of getting you top dollar than overpricing your home.
@@tamick2000 Thank you...couldn't have said it better. Appreciate your response.
Make your Agent show you the last year or two's COMPARATIVE SALES from your neighborhood or Zip Code. This cant be messed with!
That is such an easy one. Just look up what similar places are selling for.
I agree with a lot of them. My aunt is a broker and told me in her market they have to use Supra because agents will even steal from the listing. In my market completely different most of my buyers are my sellers. I use lockboxes and showing time agents in my area are pretty good at being respectful. I also think it depends on a client if they ask for me to attend all showings I will do it. Most of my buyers don’t like when the listing agent is there. I Also I don’t ask for a pre approval from the buyers agent because I have had clients get offended automatically say I don’t want to see that house; Those exact buyers bought a house 80,000 more then that listing which is a lot in my market. It does depend the price of the listing, and we’re it’s at. I work mostly in 55 communities, and I have had buyers up there price range from 200 to over 500 because of what they get for the money. I usually host all my open houses myself.
I Loved this video presentation on selling your Home. You were informative and the pink coat ensemble with, the crisp white shirt attire was -Popping, Pure Perfection!🎉 l live in Texas…trying to Sale by March and l need all the help l can get. Thanks, Rose
Rose...THANK YOU so much. Really appreciate the compliment!! Means a lot to me. I do like that pink coat..lol. Thanks for watching from Texas...you're going to do great when selling. March is a great time. Best of luck to you!!
Thank you very much for the advice. Just about to sell my home and it is great to have seen this episode.
That was wonderful advice. You seem like an amazing real estate agent.
Ahhh...that is so nice of you to say. Appreciate your kind words.
After watching multiple of your videos lm actually surprised to get an honest vibe from a realtor. Not all, but by far most of my agents have been lazy scam artists that weren't working on my side even though l paid them ridiculous commissions. Thanks for being transparent..
Excellent video Audra!!!! Thank you!!
You're so welcome! Thanks so much for watching...appreciate your comment...means a lot.
We had a real estate agent that only did private showings. I now know as the one hiring the agent that I could do that. Great information!
My instinct is saying only private viewings! I really don’t even like having new friends I’ve made come into my house
I am so happy that i made a productive decision about my finances that changed my life forever. I am a single mother and i live in Florida, i bought my first house in September and i hope to retire next year at 40 if all goes well. Thanks to Mrs Judith M Layton for helping me achieve this.
The very first time we tried, we invested $1000 and after a week, we received $3900. That really helped us a lot to pay up our bills
she's mostly on Telegrams, with the user name.
@Layton15 That's it..
This is by far the best advise and video for homeowners. Thank you so much Audra! I've had all the agents do the bad things you speak about.
Informative video and enjoy your other videos too. Just subscribed. Thank you Audra!
Ahhh...thanks so much!! Means a lot to me!
We have had bought 5 homes in our 35 years of marriage….3 of those by open house. The other two were company relocation so we had no. notice but to be by appointment. It took the listing agent A LOT of showings before we decided on our home. We still go to open houses today….you never know what is out there unless you do. It more than just the house…it’s also the surrounding. Pictures on MLS do not show you the surroundings. We want to move again, so we started going to open houses again. This is how we understand the market and also the conditions of the homes that sold for the “closing” price. Open houses are great …. You get to know YOUR market.
Great advice...and I completely agree with you. Open houses really assist buyers and sellers out there. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve heard that the number of licensed agents in the US exceeds the number of residential listings.
Yes, that is correct. It is very competitive out here.Everyone seems to be a realtor...choose wisely:)
Because the money is so easy. 5% to 6% commissions?? Check everywhere else in the world, 1% Is common
Thanks for all the good advice
The video cut aways..too funny,great advice
Glad you got a chuckle. Thanks for watching.
Great tips, 2 of the first 3 on the list are things I would’ve done. Glad to find your channel, I’ve watched several in a row. Appreciate your professionalism and polish, you’re a wealth of information!
Ahh..thank you...so glad you are getting value out of my videos. I enjoy helping people!!
Should we put cameras in the house then if there's lockbox?
I would...but I would also make sure you post a sign letting visitors know they are being monitored.
Where should you post the sign?
This is the second of your videos that I've watched. You are so spot on. You present it well and you absolutely know what you're talking about. Plus you have nice eyes. Keep it up.
Thanks so much. Really appreciate your compliment and the vote of confidence.
As a buyer, I've never been to a house WITHOUT a lockbox. Listing agents are never there. Upper middle class homes. What gives? I thought lockbox was normal. Frankly, I'd rather not have the seller's agent following us around a home, even if they can tell us about it. Because I don't think they would add much. I don't care about the cosmetic updates we can all see. I want to know what's behind the walls, above the ceilings, under the floors, in the utility room in the basement. What's going on with the foundation? What's in the attic? Wet spots on the property, where are they? That stuff that can cost you, and you don't even get to see the difference unlike bathroom and kitchen renos! I don't expect any seller to offer any secrets they don't want us to know about. That's for a damn good inspector, who has no affiliation with any parties involved. But now that you describe a few examples of the risk to the seller, though, I understand why a listing agent might want to be there.
Good points but I understand Sellers are required to fill out a 'Disclosure Form' re: problems with the house otherwise you could sue them for non-disclosure.
You make some very important points. When I am showing a house, I try not to crowd the visitor. I am really there as a resource (if they have questions) and to ensure no funny business happens when the visitor is present. A lot of buyers don't like it when the listing agent is there because they feel they are being watched...and they are. Its a huge responsibility letting an unknown person into a home. You better believe I am going to be there. A buyer came to one of my houses recently and didn't shut the refrigerator door all the way. I was closing up and noticed the refrigerator door was ajar. Thankfully, I was there to close it. If I wasn't there, the motor of the refrigerator could have burned out. A lot of homeowners live in their property while showing their house for sale..but a lot of properties I sell are vacant. Regarding what's wrong with the property, hiring a very thorough home inspector is essential! Thanks for your comment!!
@@micheleemcdaniel389Seller’s disclosure is not always required by broker agencies…and, in some instances, the seller can literally sign the form stating that they will not be completing one for whatever reason. As agents we encourage our buyers to have independent inspections and strongly recommended to have individual inspectors for the home, pool and septic tank system.
@@AudraLambertare the buyers’ agent accompanying their clients when viewing your seller’s homes? The reason I ask is the example of the frig door. If the buyer’s agent was present and was the agent securing the home back after the showing, it would have been their job to assure the home was closed properly….or do the agents assume you will take care of closing the home up and just leave…?
@@Mo.Vintage15 Great question. The buyer's agent usually accompanies their buyer. Sometimes the buyer's reach out directly to the listing agent for a private home tour. The issues arise when the house isn't secured and tidied up after a showing...or a visitor accidentally leaves a refrigerator door ajar...or uses the restroom without checking if the toilet stops. The listing agent should be there to make sure all of these whoopsies do not occur.
Yep. Don't mess with your agent. They act in your best interests and try to get the most for your house so they can get paid as well. I have a good agent and they like me because I do repairs! I have been keeping in touch with agent as it is getting time to sell and WE might be able to make some money. They are also helpful in getting funds transferred, finding inspectors, etc.
What about advice on negotiating the commissions?
Hi there! It really depends on the services your agent is providing. I offer a ton of service for my clients so I expect them to pay a certain percentage for my services. Honestly, I would interview 3 agents. Find the one you really like, and ask for a reduce commission. Maybe ask to take 1% off to start. If they agree...great. If they don't, they may come back and negotiate. If they do say no, that's probably a good agent knowing their value too. I will do a video on this one. Its a great question.
@@AudraLambert No offense but, the cost of service is not directly linked to the price of the property. Thus % commissions never made sense anyway.
How does selling a $500,000 home cost any less than selling a $1M home in terms of the services an agent provides?
@@tharais There is some truth to that...however, most agents spend more money on higher priced homes. Higher priced homes usually...and I say usually...don't sell as quickly as other lower priced homes (Unless we're talking about the past 3 years). Also, there is more risk for the agent representing higher priced homes.
We’ve been burned twice by real estate agents. Our agent when we were purchasing decided to also represent the sellers of the house we were purchasing and from then on represented solely the interest of the sellers asking us to overlook a slipping foundation and asking us to sign that we would be responsible for liability with the fence down (pool in backyard) while the foundation was being repaired, even though we didn’t have an interest in the house while this was being done.
Second was when we sold another house the agent was having a feud with another agent in her office. That agent happened to represent the buyer. Headaches all around.
Not good experiences.
Oh goodness, those sound like very unpleasant situation and I am so sorry to hear that. I wish you more smooth and professional experience on your next purchase or sale.
The internet totally changed the landscape for both realtors and customers. The buyer now looks at 'homes for sale' on a screen, no more days of hoping the realtor finds a suitable place.
Easy money for the realtor.
It isn't easy yet
Definitely agree that relying on lockbox access for showings should be the exception rather than the rule. The listing broker should provide coverage for showings. Prospective buyers can view the property (with their agent if applicable) and can ask questions, etc and then can conduct necessary conversations etc offsite.
Nice, one of the first UA-cam RE agents who tells it like it is. Too bad that I am not in Orange County. Here in Las Vegas we tend to have a lot of "new" RE agents that don't know what they are doing most times. If you were here, I would definitely have a word with you the next time I list a house or to buy. One always needs a good buyers agent.
Ahhh...thanks so much. Really appreciate a comment. By the way, one of my top agents who was my right hand gal, moved to Vegas. If you ever need any real estate assistance, Id be happy to connect you. She's a doll. We work the same way. Have a wonderful day...appreciate the support.
They all LIE
Bang!! 😮😮1:29 she says “listing agents put a lot of time, money and effort into marketing you property”. No, no they don’t. She beating you are naïve and believe they do. I have bought/sold 6 houses (properties) in the last 50 years and I will state as a fact based on my personal experience agents did not do that for me or for the properties I was interested in buying, likely over a 100. I was not in some strange place of depressed area this was in Charlotte, NC. I stoped watching at 1:35.
Now now...sounds like you hired the wrong agents. I am going to do a video with invoices showing you what I put into marketing my houses. To be fair, most agents don't. You just need to find the right ones. How many agents did you interview when selecting your agents you hired? Highly recommend you find a good agent...it makes all the difference.
Thank you for your prompt response. Unfortunately, it’s late now, so I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to reply. I’m looking forward to it, as your response has given me much to work with. Have a pleasant evening.
Can’t wait to hear from you!
Andrea, I did initiate this discussion and being nudged by your “Now, now,” which seemed to imply I deserved a time out. Now I finished watching your video and found it interesting. I disagree with your claim about realtors “spending a lot of time, money, and effort marketing your property.” and in you response to me you even said “most don’t”. While your statement might have held true in the long past, the real estate business underwent a significant shift with the emergence of MLS, Zillow, and other online platforms in the early 2000s, forever altering (for the better) the real estate industry. It’s now impractical to try to surpass or outspend the internet, and you are undoubtedly aware of this reality. By the way, in most states, sellers have the right to terminate a realtor without warning or cause despite any listing agreement. don’t sign a agreement that takes that right away from you. Hiring a realtor doesn’t mean you’re stuck with them and yes I interview and would surly hire you. You my dear, have spunk.
I have excellent staging skills, so 3 months is not needed. 30 days is tops.
Good for you!! I love good stagers!!
@@AudraLambert I've watched a lot of home decor and staging videos!
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Great presentation however you forgot to mention that lockboxes are really not a bad idea for vacant properties,
especially condos-gives an agent possibility to show the property at any time where the security is present and they have to sign up before even retrieving the key from the lock box.
I’m sure that you’d agree!
I was an agent for 10 years before I got fired - but open houses were great for me, used to watch TV do my laundry and have a nice hot shower sometimes,,,,, anyone that allows open houses is crazy if you ask me. I also used to eat very well, cookies, cheese, and sometimes the bar was good also.
Laughing. too funny!
No circle of trust. They can rob your house. 😮
Try on any dresses? Bloody hell tLk about a con job
@@kazaabitboll2026 Good prep isn't a con job..its showing the house in its best light.
Thank you. I've never heard of a listing that is NOT lockbox, in my area unless the home is VERY high end -- Multi-Multi $M!
Hi Kelly...this drives me nuts! What are you paying them to do exactly? They should be representing you...if they are not at the property, who are they representing? I am recording a video on this today. Drives me nuts!
@@AudraLambert Thank you. No disrespect to your profession, but man realtors in my area are paid far too much for the effort, hours, and $ they put into a sale. Homes sell fast in my area regardless of marketing, so I agree -- they should at least show up!
Everyone should know how to sell one’s property. It is not difficult at all and saves lots of money in the process. Just learn it, you’ll never regret it!
Just make sure you are aware of the liability involved by representing yourself. People sell their homes everyday:)
It’s not difficult to sell right now. Try being a for sale by owner when properties are sitting on the market for six and eight months.
Tough market? That's when FSBOs are at their best. A six percent commission split between the buyer and seller can set a property above similar properties. Even a really good agent is an expensive luxury. Luxuries are the first to go in a tough environment.
@@AudraLambert several yrs ago my friends went on vacation. Their RE agent couldn’t be there for a showing either so my friends asked me to show. I did research on the house explained about the Jersey Devil area it was in AND Napoleon’s brother had been the next door neighbor. Half of house was from the 1700’s and the other half was modern. Unique! They bid on it and offered $20,000. More. I intimated there were other bidders. There weren’t. When my friends came home, these people signed the papers and I thought I should look into this profession. But I am a social worker and I found out that RE agents possibly intimate many things. It did not fit me well. But I loved it when the people were excited in buying it. I felt like I had a winning hand in Blacjack.
@@AudraLambert please share a few of these liabilities....
Great video thank you for sharing.