I just started watching her. Though she misses a thing or 2 now and then, which I dont blame her cause some her videos would have to be 3 hours long to cover everything. She does seem to know what she is talking about and is very informative and dresses and appears very intelligent. I definitely admire her and enjoy hearing what she has to say. I just subbed and gonna watch more. And she takes the time to reply to comments and sounds pretty sweet, too. A huge plus!
For a realtor who sells very high end properties....you come off as a very common sense person....very down to earth.....i can see why you are successful......and i would say that " success is always earned...and never given"!......excellent video about how to be successful in any work career.....hard work!...
I would agree! Audra, please sell my house although you're not in my area. Haha I've been watching your videos one after another. You're confident, informative, and genuinely wanting to share your knowledge, and care about your customers!
@@Yajzoo44 Ahhh...thanks!! Really appreciate your comment...and you're right, I really care about people. Just trying to help. A lot of people don't know what to expect from their realtor. Have a great day..and thanks for the support.
ALL the homes we've bought or sold (in 30 years of marriage and too many moves) I never even stopped to consider 'the lock-box'. YOU ARE CORRECT. Thanks for the wisdom and good advice.
You are absolutely correct about dressing nicely: not merely for sales, but in any profession or avocation where you are interacting with people. All population groups that you will work with in life, appreciate that you took the time to look nice, tidy, modest and put together when you related with them. Even working with a homeless therapy group, maybe especially. There is something that happens when you work with a group, and you are nicely dressed (doesn't have to be expensive, and certainly do not want to be Kardashian over the top); but it elevates the entire group. You get more respect, because THEY feel respected. And the group is off to a good start and will be successful. And that was the point: for you to show respect. Never dress "down" to your audience or population . We all like to look at someone who is nicely dressed and think: "oh, that's very lovely".
Love your comment. Totally agree with you. I think dressing professionally is really about respecting yourself and the people you are working with,...I am amazed as to how few professionals do this anymore. I am not changing:). Appreciate your comment.
You are a Realtor like no other...every time I watch a video from you, I learn something. Thank you...I'm sharing your channel with as many as possible...Your channel needs to go viral, it's just too valuable. Thank you for taking a stance, and sharing even though you might be stepping on toes...we all love your intentions You're a beautiful lady and yes, you have a darling smile, and love your humor, but I like the "Don't mess with me attitude"....do it right or don't do it at all...know what to do and how to do it to get the results you want....but be fair and just. This is all common sense stuff. Excellent job Audra
I love your channel Audra! I am not a realtor, I’m a seller but boy-oh-boy have agents been impressed by my listing because of your tips! You’ve reached me in New Brunswick, Canada - you’ve gone international now 😊
More excellent straight talking advice! Totally agree, especially with being present for security and following up with a feedback call. As a homeowner who does do a lot of prep and treats my home sale as a job myself, I expect my agent/realtor to work equally as hard for the sale.
Audra, I've moved 47x. Met many realtors. None did this! I asked one (also a neighbor) to be present at each showing. She was resistant to say the least! Like having a product for sale on the table & walking away when a purchaser comes in. Great vid, thx
You are an absolute professional! As a newer agent here in Pittsburgh, Pa, I am impressed with how you handle your career. You are a fantastic role model for Realtors. Thank you for these videos, I will be implementing what you are talking about here for sure!
Good, good tips! I would never dislike you, Audra ... ☺ I have been an amateur RE (read: bought and sold a lot of homes, many in So Cal/OC) and you have the best advice in the empire. Each situation is different, each seller has their own feeling about accessing the home, the buyer qualification screening thing is big and tougher than ever, and today it is more tricky than ever to deal with the general public and our litigious world. I admire your approach, attitude, due diligence and just plain sentient courtesy and empathy for your clients and the RE ecosystem.
Agree with most of what You said and I understand that it is kinda market specific. I saw real estate in Hawaii, so no slacks, no button-down shirts, no dress shoes. It’s flip-flops, shorts, Aloha shirts. I like the idea of not using a lockbox and meeting the agent at the property.
Thank you Audra for a very comprehensive talk on showing a property. I wish that some of the agents knew this when selling previous homes. One home that I sold in the San Jose, CA area did have a lockbox on the door by the advise of my agent. Big mistake. I left my home for a long weekend while it was on MLS. I returned to the home and found the front door unlocked. There were multiple agent cards on my kitchen counter. Long story short, I never knew who left the door unlocked and neither did my agent since she wasn't even in the home when it was toured by multiple agents and their buyers. I love your advise. The next time I sell a home I will never get a lock box put on my door again. the other items mentioned about buyers behavior is true. They need to be watched. I've had buyers lay down on my bed, move items on furniture, mess with the light switches and probably look through drawers too. Thanks again for the very informative and valuable advice!
You are so very welcome. Thanks so much for sharing...other home owners need to hear this. I hate lockbox for the very reason you just explained. That is a disservice. Happy to help and I hope that never happens again. Ugh..people now-a-days!
I thought it was great! I was a realtor for a short time and found the business and associates were not for me. I am considering selling our home myself and these were good tips. I think there are a lot of lazy real estate agents out there and after the schooling and licensing procedure they went through they should be more professional. Thanks for doing this!
Excellent. As i have written to you our Agent in 3 months has never showen our home..nor has no one from her office . We did confront her. She had no answer for us. I did take your advice and told her the photos looked awful. She did have new photos taken. She sold two houses around the corner.. And says they all wanted three car garages.That was her reason😮 Margie Az.
As a relatively new buyer, I would say that you are really just talking about professionalism. There are many legal issues and big dollars involved, so it is surprising that agents might not be following your guidelines. When I bought my house, the seller's agent made such a good impression on me, that if "my" realtor ever retires, I would contact that agent when I need to sell. Re attire: there are many comfortable and low cost options available for professional attire. Decades ago, my dad used to keep his add-ons in his car for when needed.
Susan, you make a good point I never thought of...if you are the listing agent and make a good impression on the buyer they may use your services in the future. I am really glad you had a good experience. From what I gather, this is not the norm...and yes, professionalism is the basis of this video (and show and do the job you were hired to do). Thanks for your input.
Great tips (I am a seller). I clean my house every time I have a showing....last time, the buyer complained about the cleaning scent (pinesol) that I mopped my house with. My house smelled "too clean"? They thought I was masking something.....I wasn't. I now use scent-free. I think it is important that my Realtor be present even if its the first few minutes to talk to the buyers about the nuances of the house...the area, etc. Whenever he is available, my showing goes alot better than when its the buyer and just their agent. I have an "Upgrades, dates and $$ value added) list on my counter for them to review.
Hello there. Sounds like you're doing all the right stuff. Thats a good point about the "smells" in the property. Its best to have the property smell clean but not saturated with pinesol (althought admittedly, I like the smell of Pinesol. For selling the home, I would keep the smells to a minimal. Vanilla is one of the most universally accepted scents. Sound like you are doing all the right stuff. Best of luck to you and thanks for watching.
You look really smart and professional in the outfits you wear in your videos. I definitely would take you seriously if I was a home buyer. Depending on the city.... Here is super low crime cause you get shot for trying to car jack someone or break into a house. but some cities the realtor (especially women) just stays outside and says go look around cause risk of them getting attacked in the house. Maybe it doesn't happen that much. but once a year is still too much. No woman should have to worry about that ever. unfortunately you do. especially if you are real pretty like you are. Its not right or fair. I hope you carry your 2nd amendment with you and screen people you show to or have husband or coworker with you. But you are right. When i went through the home buying process I felt better having a guided tour but then the realtor just stood back in the hall and let me explore each room. But then my realtor was my aunt. she quit being a realtor in 2008. My dads brother/my uncle/her husband makes like quarter million or more a year in Walmarts ISD Department in their new David Glass complex across the street from the new home office complex Walmart is building here in Bentonville as hes been in ISD for 40 years or more now. Plus they have bunch of rentals. So aint like she has to work. Please be safe showing houses. I hope no one ever tries to hurt you.
All..thanks Sgt. Joe. Luckily I haven't had any incidences. I usually have another one of my realtors on my team attend open houses/showings with me if I feel uneasy. I have heard horror stories about realtors being attacked at showings open houses. I promise to be safe:)
On the dressing: ABSOLUTELY!! like you're visiting your grandma!!! I'm glad I heard you said this....I have to make such my future agent doesn't dress like a schlob 😮
One thing I will say about services like Showing Time. I agree with talking to the agent and verifying the qualified buyer, all of that is true and good practice. However, It doesn't mean you have to "hate" services like Showing time. These services do create a paper trail and a log of who has shown the property. It can also remedy the unlicensed "agent" you spoke of. If someone is scheduling through the MLS, the chances of them not being licensed is very slim. So, while it may not be advisable to use Showing Time only, it does have a useful function when used in conjunction with your procedure.
Hello Robert, I do not schedule or pay for cleaning services. The majority of the cost I spend is for presenting the home for sale: Staging, photos, social media posts, marketing collateral etc. The reason I do not offer cleaning services is because I don't want to take the risk. What happens if the cleaning crew does something to damage the floors/property? Or what happens if there is an issue that arises and the homeowner wants to blame the cleaning service I provided? What happens if the cleaning crew gets injured on the property? Its never a good idea to have the realtor arrange or schedule any maintenance/cleaning for ANY property. I put the responsibility on the homeowner. Its their house...it should be their service people maintaining it. I would recommend a credit through escrow for cleaning services if both parties agree (between realtor/seller). If you are considering listing your house with a realtor, I would have this conversation up front. They may give you a credit towards cleaning. Hope that helps!
We have our house for sale right now. I have no idea if our listing agent will come in for every showing. I don’t think so. And we did look at a house that the owners had moved out several months ago. It was dirty with dead bugs, spiders, and just ick in it. The selling agent didn’t do anything to get the house ready for an open house.
Hello there! This makes me sad. Presentation is key for a good outcome. I would ask you agent if they could be at every showing. It can't hurt. Best of luck to you!
If the room is not to busy with other bold colors, then leave the artwork up. It can enhance the room and provide a focal point. However, do not use artwork on every wall or multiple pieces in a room. It can easy be over done. Keep it simple and as minimal as possible.
Hello there! The problem with a vacant home is that buyers may have the impression that you may be flexible on price because you might be paying two mortgages (offers may come in lower). It is a royal pain in the neck to live in a property while showing it for sale. Sometimes a vacant property shows better than one that is lived in. Not sure what your housing market it like. I would do your research: what are other homeowners doing in your area? Are they selling vacant? What is the average market time in your area (how long it takes to get into escrow, etc). I would also rely on your realtors advice. They should know the market expectations, as well. Best of luck to you!
Your videos are so detailed with great information. I’m shocked that you are a veteran realtor and still pronouncing your own title incorrectly: it is “real-tor” not “rel-a-tor”.
Hi Kristen, old habits, die hard! You will notice in my past videos I constantly correct myself regarding pronouncing Realtor. I’m not perfect, try and improve every
Hi Kristen, thanks for your compliment! You know what they say, old habits die hard. You’ll notice in some of my past videos I constantly correct myself regarding how to pronounce Realtor. Lol! I’ll get get it correct one of these days!!! Thanks for watching!!
@@lovly2cu725 Thanks for that! People correct me all the time for saying " Real-a-tor"..."Real-tor" just doesn't sound right to me. Whatever, I am changing my ways. I also call a roof a "ru-ff"...need to change that too. You learn something everyday:)
I'm an Expat living in the Philippines. You wouldn't believe the unprofessionality of the Realtors here. We looked at a piece of property a few days ago. The young lady got out of her vehicle dressed and looking like a TROLL.... (a large portion of them do). She seemed to know her stuff, but come on ! Now after viewing, I'm still waiting for a reply to a couple questions I asked her 3 days ago. Now realize, I'm just mentioning the tip of the iceberg about all the pitfalls and hassles here. Very frustrating to say the least, when buying here can happen relatively fast , but selling can often take years. BTW , I think you're spot on with ALL your advice and tips.
Wow...thanks for you comments. Philippines is a long way away. Sorry to hear about your experience with the unprofessional agents you are working with. This drives me nuts! Best of luck to you. I feel badly for you:(
Wow, Audra! You are top notch and a wealth of information! I am definitely gleaning from your videos. We are renovating a home that I used to live in. My ex was living here and passed away and we are selling the home. We have done a complete renovation to make it a “new” home for the next owners and are putting the final touches on it with landscaping etc as we speak. Trying to create curb appeal! We want to sell “By Owner” to maximize profits and make sure my children all gets something out of it as well as a good return on investment for all my husband and I are putting into it. We had hoped to move my mom here or use it for income as a rental, but that isn’t going to work for this location unfortunately. Do you have any tips etc for us as we go through this process?
Hello there...thank you so much for watching my videos. I will have to do a video on home sellers selling their own properties. There are pros and cons to everything. If you keep watching my channel and the videos I am producing, you will know more than most agents out there. I know you are going to do great!!
Thank you so much for the information! I hired realtor, she didn't showed up for showings, she didn't showed up for house inspection. She lost the byer. Very not professional 😢. I would love to cancel my agreement with her, but I would pay penalty for stopping my agreement 😢.
Not cool!! If you truly want out of the agreement, I would contact her broker and explain how you are not satisfied with your representation. They may provide another agent who is more knowledgable and/or effective. Really sorry:(
@AudraLambert thank you so much for your advice! She started to put house on the market with high price. House is on the listing for 41 days. There are only 1 showing, 1 inspection, and nothing else...
@@nataliiab.6965 UGH!! Seriously, call her broker and ask for a change if you are not satisfied. You have a contract with the broker not the agent...a lot of people don't know that.
@AudraLambert Yes, I didn't know that. Thank you for the information 🙏 I like to watch your videos. It has a tons of very valuable information. I wish I watched it before hiring a realtor
thank you so much for the tips; as an owner looking for renting my apartment once I was asked to allow visitors to take photos or share the visit via skype with the partner who was not able to attend Should I give permission?
Its really up to you regarding your comfort level. If you're trying to rent the house out, it may make sense to allow them to do it. All the pictures are on line anyway (if you listed it on line). I just would make sure they seem "normal"...if you know what I mean:)
The way things are right now makes no sense. The Listing Agent, who was presumably hired because they are good at showing properties, doesn’t attend any showings because “the Buyer and their Agent don’t want to them there”. So no one is onsite during Showings to show the good points of the property. That what “Sales” are. The Buyers Agent is in many cases a friend or acquaintance of the prospective Buyer. During the showing the Buyer’s Agent attempts to pick out all of the bad things about the property so the Buyer can justify offering a lower price. And then (until changes take effect) the Seller pays the commission to the Buyer’s Agent. The Listing Agent should be at EVERY showing to present the property. The reason that doesn’t happen now is that we’re told the prospective Buyer wants to talk about the property while they are onsite. That’s not the time to talk. The Buyer should take notes and talk about the property after they leave. The Listing Agents that fix this problem will own all of the Listings. There are a lot of Listing Agents that shouldn’t be Listing Agents.
@@AudraLamberthave you considered posting a poll about how people pronounce realtor. I have lived in a lot of different places and it seems to me that the pronunciation is very regional. Of course there will always be the pronunciation snobs who believe they have the only right answer. That’s the problem with the internet bringing together many people from many regions. You are always gracious, which is more than I can say for some of the comments.
Here's a crazy and true story about a seller's agent. I heard voices next door outside my neighbor's empty house that was for sale, and went over to investigate. I found that a child inside was opening the door for her family. The parents explained that they had boosted the child through an unlocked window per the seller's agent's suggestion. I lost my temper, told them I didn't care who said what to them, and to get the heck off the property. They acted as if I was overreacting and unreasonable! What the heck!!
Seller agents to show the house? I live in San Diego and most of the time the seller agent don’t even show up at the open house. They always use their associate agent to host the open house.
I hear ya....its good to ask this question when you're interviewing the listing agent: Who will be showing my house and who will be attending the Open Houses? It should be the agent you signed the listing contract or someone on their broker team.
Listing agents being at showings??? They're only getting a $30,000 commission. 15 minutes to add to MLS...often with incorrect info. 3 texts messages to order: photos, sign, lock box. That seems like more than enough work for $30,000.
Sounds like you haven't been working with a pro. However, I do agree there are some agents out there that shouldn't have their license (that's true in any field). Realtors do get a bad rap for sitting back, doing very little, and getting over paid. In. my experience, that's is the farthest from the truth. I do understand your perspective and its a shame there are agents that do very little. Its extremely important to hire the right agent.
@@AudraLambertWell, that's kind of the issue isn't it? Push the responsibility onto the customer to "hire the right agent". I've worked with really good agents, and really bad. I've sold/bought about 20 homes in my life and have learned the differences...the hard way. How does a person buying/selling first, second, third house became an expert on weeding out the scammers? They can't. The issue is agents present themselves as professionals yet do virtually nothing to police themselves. Anyone with a pulse can become an agent and bad actors are never (virtually) kicked out. For example, I sold a house to an agent and before close started to move into my house because he had the lock box code. I reported this to his broker who's literal response, word for word, was "Go F*&^ yourself." My response was to remove all the items that had been moved in. If the agent wanted to report me to police for "stealing" items from my house that would have been cool with me. But he knew he was a criminal and criminals don't call police. House closed, I got paid and got a valuable lesson in how agents operate. Or how about the listing agent who was extremely ill but hide that from me, and then couldn't respond to offers because he was too sick. Still wanted his $30k though....of course. I had almost no recourse because agent know full well people aren't going to tie up a property for months while going thru the courts.
Yeah! Someone used the toilet and left the seat up AND DIDN’T FLUSH! GROSS! I don’t think ANY buyer or buyer’s agent should be using the seller’s toilet.
Thank you so much for watching. I am doing a better job with the word realtor. Old habits die hard. Check out my most recent videos...you will see I mostly corrected it 96% of the time. Thanks for the reminder.
Audra can we get you corrected on how to pronunciate the word for what you do? Anyone that sales real estate should know they are a REALTOR. There is no such word as Real a tor! OMG, You have said it so many times in this video Ive lost count! Audra you are a REALTOR!!! PLEASE GET IT RIGHT...
Hi Sher! You would be proud of me...in my last 5 or so videos I got pronunciation of REAL-TOR correct. Good grief...bad habits die hard. Thanks for pointing it out. Im growing!
Good information. Many listing agents don it want to show the house. Takes a lot of time especially in a rural area where listings can be miles away. And sometimes it’s because the house has issues. Or is a mess In rural areas there are many land listings. Sometimes 50 or 100 acres. That’s a lot to show
Seriously I never write comments on UA-cam but you have one of the most informative real estate channels on the Internet.
Thank you so much!! You have no idea how much that means to me. Glad I could add value.
I agree!
I just started watching her. Though she misses a thing or 2 now and then, which I dont blame her cause some her videos would have to be 3 hours long to cover everything. She does seem to know what she is talking about and is very informative and dresses and appears very intelligent. I definitely admire her and enjoy hearing what she has to say. I just subbed and gonna watch more. And she takes the time to reply to comments and sounds pretty sweet, too. A huge plus!
Just fab
A transaction of this size deserves all the effort mentioned. Post Covid, my hope is that realtors realize those commissions are earned.
I completely agree with you!!
You are fabulous!Your videos have helped me tremendously
I'm so glad! So happy I could help!! Really appreciate your comment.
For a realtor who sells very high end properties....you come off as a very common sense person....very down to earth.....i can see why you are successful......and i would say that " success is always earned...and never given"!......excellent video about how to be successful in any work career.....hard work!...
Ahhh...thanks so much!!! You just made my day!
I would agree! Audra, please sell my house although you're not in my area. Haha I've been watching your videos one after another. You're confident, informative, and genuinely wanting to share your knowledge, and care about your customers!
@@Yajzoo44 Ahhh...thanks!! Really appreciate your comment...and you're right, I really care about people. Just trying to help. A lot of people don't know what to expect from their realtor. Have a great day..and thanks for the support.
ALL the homes we've bought or sold (in 30 years of marriage and too many moves) I never even stopped to consider 'the lock-box'. YOU ARE CORRECT. Thanks for the wisdom and good advice.
You are absolutely correct about dressing nicely: not merely for sales, but in any profession or avocation where you are interacting with people. All population groups that you will work with in life, appreciate that you took the time to look nice, tidy, modest and put together when you related with them. Even working with a homeless therapy group, maybe especially. There is something that happens when you work with a group, and you are nicely dressed (doesn't have to be expensive, and certainly do not want to be Kardashian over the top); but it elevates the entire group. You get more respect, because THEY feel respected. And the group is off to a good start and will be successful. And that was the point: for you to show respect. Never dress "down" to your audience or population . We all like to look at someone who is nicely dressed and think: "oh, that's very lovely".
Love your comment. Totally agree with you. I think dressing professionally is really about respecting yourself and the people you are working with,...I am amazed as to how few professionals do this anymore. I am not changing:). Appreciate your comment.
You are a Realtor like no other...every time I watch a video from you, I learn something. Thank you...I'm sharing your channel with as many as possible...Your channel needs to go viral, it's just too valuable. Thank you for taking a stance, and sharing even though you might be stepping on toes...we all love your intentions You're a beautiful lady and yes, you have a darling smile, and love your humor, but I like the "Don't mess with me attitude"....do it right or don't do it at all...know what to do and how to do it to get the results you want....but be fair and just. This is all common sense stuff. Excellent job Audra
Hi Flo! Thanks so much for your kind comment. Very nice speaking with you today. Really appreciate your support!
New Realtor here. Thank you so much for all you do to give great information. This is so helpful and not overwhelming like classes were. ❤❤❤
You're professional; straightforward and to the point!........ Priceless
Ahhh...thanks so much. Really appreciate your comment...means a lot.
an honest realtor at last
yes I am
Thank you. Your professional approach is welcomed immensely. Best to you.
Thank you kindly!
VERY professional! Yes, I have had several listing agents in my life. NONE did these things.
Easy to see why you are a top agent in your area. This is a good amount of valuable information in a short video. Bravo
I appreciate that! Thanks so much!!
I think I’d hang around the neighborhood to make sure my realtor is present and have something in the contract to make sure.
Agree with you!!
I love your channel Audra! I am not a realtor, I’m a seller but boy-oh-boy have agents been impressed by my listing because of your tips!
You’ve reached me in New Brunswick, Canada - you’ve gone international now 😊
Great advice, thank you. I hope other realtors learn from you!
Ahhh..thanks so much...glad you got some value. Have a good one!!
More excellent straight talking advice! Totally agree, especially with being present for security and following up with a feedback call. As a homeowner who does do a lot of prep and treats my home sale as a job myself, I expect my agent/realtor to work equally as hard for the sale.
Appreciate your comment. Not sure why more agents don't do this. Thanks for watching.
Very Educational experience
I’m from England and you are working far more than our agents do . We are selling and I’ve taken a lot of your advise thank you so much ❤
Fantastic! So glad I could help. Can't believe you're watching from England. That amazing!
Audra, I've moved 47x. Met many realtors. None did this! I asked one (also a neighbor) to be present at each showing. She was resistant to say the least! Like having a product for sale on the table & walking away when a purchaser comes in. Great vid, thx
I just don't understand it! 47x is a lot of moving! Appreciate you watching my videos!
You are an absolute professional! As a newer agent here in Pittsburgh, Pa, I am impressed with how you handle your career. You are a fantastic role model for Realtors. Thank you for these videos, I will be implementing what you are talking about here for sure!
Good, good tips! I would never dislike you, Audra ... ☺ I have been an amateur RE (read: bought and sold a lot of homes, many in So Cal/OC) and you have the best advice in the empire. Each situation is different, each seller has their own feeling about accessing the home, the buyer qualification screening thing is big and tougher than ever, and today it is more tricky than ever to deal with the general public and our litigious world. I admire your approach, attitude, due diligence and just plain sentient courtesy and empathy for your clients and the RE ecosystem.
Ahh...thank you so much! That is so nice of you to say...Means the world to me!
Excellent videos Audra! Thank you so very much.
Excellent video. ✌️
♥️♥️♥️your channel Audra!
Thank you!! That means a lot to me.
Agree with most of what
You said and I understand that it is kinda market specific. I saw real estate in Hawaii, so no slacks, no button-down shirts, no dress shoes. It’s flip-flops, shorts, Aloha shirts. I like the idea of not using a lockbox and meeting the agent at the property.
Thank you Audra for a very comprehensive talk on showing a property. I wish that some of the agents knew this when selling previous homes. One home that I sold in the San Jose, CA area did have a lockbox on the door by the advise of my agent. Big mistake. I left my home for a long weekend while it was on MLS. I returned to the home and found the front door unlocked. There were multiple agent cards on my kitchen counter. Long story short, I never knew who left the door unlocked and neither did my agent since she wasn't even in the home when it was toured by multiple agents and their buyers. I love your advise. The next time I sell a home I will never get a lock box put on my door again. the other items mentioned about buyers behavior is true. They need to be watched. I've had buyers lay down on my bed, move items on furniture, mess with the light switches and probably look through drawers too. Thanks again for the very informative and valuable advice!
You are so very welcome. Thanks so much for sharing...other home owners need to hear this. I hate lockbox for the very reason you just explained. That is a disservice. Happy to help and I hope that never happens again. Ugh..people now-a-days!
I thought it was great! I was a realtor for a short time and found the business and associates were not for me. I am considering selling our home myself and these were good tips. I think there are a lot of lazy real estate agents out there and after the schooling and licensing procedure they went through they should be more professional. Thanks for doing this!
thank you .... very valuable info
Excellent. As i have written to you our Agent in 3 months has never showen our home..nor has no one from her office . We did confront her. She had no answer for us. I did take your advice and told her the photos looked awful. She did have new photos taken. She sold two houses around the corner.. And says they all wanted three car garages.That was her reason😮 Margie Az.
Hi there...Glad you got new photos. Have you sold your house yet?
Great video!
Thank you 😊
As a relatively new buyer, I would say that you are really just talking about professionalism. There are many legal issues and big dollars involved, so it is surprising that agents might not be following your guidelines. When I bought my house, the seller's agent made such a good impression on me, that if "my" realtor ever retires, I would contact that agent when I need to sell. Re attire: there are many comfortable and low cost options available for professional attire. Decades ago, my dad used to keep his add-ons in his car for when needed.
Susan, you make a good point I never thought of...if you are the listing agent and make a good impression on the buyer they may use your services in the future. I am really glad you had a good experience. From what I gather, this is not the norm...and yes, professionalism is the basis of this video (and show and do the job you were hired to do). Thanks for your input.
I am selling soon so your video helps a lot. I will make sure the agent I will choose will be working for my sake and not for the money alone..😅
Excellent! So glad I could help. Sorry for late response.
As a new real estate agent all your information is fantastic for me. I just found your channel. Thank you so much. I WANT TO BE AS YOU😊
So glad you are getting some value. Best of luck...you'll do great!
Soo helpful!!
Love your videos.
You are soo funny too 😊
🙏
Great tips (I am a seller). I clean my house every time I have a showing....last time, the buyer complained about the cleaning scent (pinesol) that I mopped my house with. My house smelled "too clean"? They thought I was masking something.....I wasn't. I now use scent-free. I think it is important that my Realtor be present even if its the first few minutes to talk to the buyers about the nuances of the house...the area, etc. Whenever he is available, my showing goes alot better than when its the buyer and just their agent. I have an "Upgrades, dates and $$ value added) list on my counter for them to review.
Hello there. Sounds like you're doing all the right stuff. Thats a good point about the "smells" in the property. Its best to have the property smell clean but not saturated with pinesol (althought admittedly, I like the smell of Pinesol. For selling the home, I would keep the smells to a minimal. Vanilla is one of the most universally accepted scents. Sound like you are doing all the right stuff. Best of luck to you and thanks for watching.
I'm almost ready to put in the market, a new construction home North Carolina.
Hope to sale fast.
Your tips are so appreciated 🙏
So glad I could assist. Best of luck to you..You'll do great!
WOW, good info. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
I had a bad experience with realtor not showing up to show. Always sent some1 else (NY). Worked out for best as we didn't sell and I'm glad I kept
Well...sometimes a negative turns into a positive. Glad you kept your home:)
Really enjoy all your videos
You are best of the best !
Wow, thanks! Really appreciate your comment. Just made my day!!
Excellent tips. Thank you 🌼🌸
Thanks. I am saving this video to make sure I speak with my agent about your points. NO LOCKBOX on front door.
So glad you got some value out of this video. the lockbox on the front door also makes scratch marks. Best of luck to you!
Great info and food for thought. Thanks.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.
Great content. Thank you.
You are so very welcome! Glad I could help!!
You look really smart and professional in the outfits you wear in your videos. I definitely would take you seriously if I was a home buyer. Depending on the city.... Here is super low crime cause you get shot for trying to car jack someone or break into a house. but some cities the realtor (especially women) just stays outside and says go look around cause risk of them getting attacked in the house. Maybe it doesn't happen that much. but once a year is still too much. No woman should have to worry about that ever. unfortunately you do. especially if you are real pretty like you are. Its not right or fair. I hope you carry your 2nd amendment with you and screen people you show to or have husband or coworker with you. But you are right. When i went through the home buying process I felt better having a guided tour but then the realtor just stood back in the hall and let me explore each room. But then my realtor was my aunt. she quit being a realtor in 2008. My dads brother/my uncle/her husband makes like quarter million or more a year in Walmarts ISD Department in their new David Glass complex across the street from the new home office complex Walmart is building here in Bentonville as hes been in ISD for 40 years or more now. Plus they have bunch of rentals. So aint like she has to work. Please be safe showing houses. I hope no one ever tries to hurt you.
All..thanks Sgt. Joe. Luckily I haven't had any incidences. I usually have another one of my realtors on my team attend open houses/showings with me if I feel uneasy. I have heard horror stories about realtors being attacked at showings open houses. I promise to be safe:)
On the dressing: ABSOLUTELY!! like you're visiting your grandma!!! I'm glad I heard you said this....I have to make such my future agent doesn't dress like a schlob 😮
Cracking up! Yes! Dress for success!
One thing I will say about services like Showing Time. I agree with talking to the agent and verifying the qualified buyer, all of that is true and good practice. However, It doesn't mean you have to "hate" services like Showing time. These services do create a paper trail and a log of who has shown the property. It can also remedy the unlicensed "agent" you spoke of. If someone is scheduling through the MLS, the chances of them not being licensed is very slim. So, while it may not be advisable to use Showing Time only, it does have a useful function when used in conjunction with your procedure.
Do you have a video on how to show a property that has a tenant in it?
Getting our agents at the house for every showing has been like pulling teeth.
Do you arrange a cleaning service and do you pay or the seller pays at closing in addition to your commission?
Hello Robert, I do not schedule or pay for cleaning services. The majority of the cost I spend is for presenting the home for sale: Staging, photos, social media posts, marketing collateral etc. The reason I do not offer cleaning services is because I don't want to take the risk. What happens if the cleaning crew does something to damage the floors/property? Or what happens if there is an issue that arises and the homeowner wants to blame the cleaning service I provided? What happens if the cleaning crew gets injured on the property? Its never a good idea to have the realtor arrange or schedule any maintenance/cleaning for ANY property. I put the responsibility on the homeowner. Its their house...it should be their service people maintaining it. I would recommend a credit through escrow for cleaning services if both parties agree (between realtor/seller). If you are considering listing your house with a realtor, I would have this conversation up front. They may give you a credit towards cleaning. Hope that helps!
We have our house for sale right now. I have no idea if our listing agent will come in for every showing. I don’t think so. And we did look at a house that the owners had moved out several months ago. It was dirty with dead bugs, spiders, and just ick in it. The selling agent didn’t do anything to get the house ready for an open house.
Hello there! This makes me sad. Presentation is key for a good outcome. I would ask you agent if they could be at every showing. It can't hurt. Best of luck to you!
I watch all of your videos and they are wonderfully helpful! I am still confused about one thing. Artwork? Leave it up or take it all down?
If the room is not to busy with other bold colors, then leave the artwork up. It can enhance the room and provide a focal point. However, do not use artwork on every wall or multiple pieces in a room. It can easy be over done. Keep it simple and as minimal as possible.
@ thank you!
Yes, why isn’t my seller’s agent calling after each showing ???
Now my husband wants to sell after we move out. What is your opinion of selling an empty home? Our home is valued about $350,000.
Hello there! The problem with a vacant home is that buyers may have the impression that you may be flexible on price because you might be paying two mortgages (offers may come in lower). It is a royal pain in the neck to live in a property while showing it for sale. Sometimes a vacant property shows better than one that is lived in. Not sure what your housing market it like. I would do your research: what are other homeowners doing in your area? Are they selling vacant? What is the average market time in your area (how long it takes to get into escrow, etc). I would also rely on your realtors advice. They should know the market expectations, as well. Best of luck to you!
Your videos are so detailed with great information. I’m shocked that you are a veteran realtor and still pronouncing your own title incorrectly: it is “real-tor” not “rel-a-tor”.
Hi Kristen, old habits, die hard! You will notice in my past videos I constantly correct myself regarding pronouncing Realtor. I’m not perfect, try and improve every
Hi Kristen, thanks for your compliment! You know what they say, old habits die hard. You’ll notice in some of my past videos I constantly correct myself regarding how to pronounce Realtor. Lol! I’ll get get it correct one of these days!!! Thanks for watching!!
INTERESTING. I LOOKED IT UP A MONTH AGO & EITHER PRONUNCIATION WAS CORRECT
@@lovly2cu725 it’s literally spelled “real-tor”… so there’s no way you would correctly pronounce it “rel-a-tor”.
@@lovly2cu725 Thanks for that! People correct me all the time for saying " Real-a-tor"..."Real-tor" just doesn't sound right to me. Whatever, I am changing my ways. I also call a roof a "ru-ff"...need to change that too. You learn something everyday:)
How do you get your seller’s agent to be at the showing of the house?
Think the realtor that I had in Florida did that. Sold after we tried to sell on our own!
Glad you sold it!!! Presenting the home in its best light usually does the trick.
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤awesome
I'm an Expat living in the Philippines.
You wouldn't believe the unprofessionality of the Realtors here. We looked at a piece of property a few days ago. The young lady got out of her vehicle dressed and looking like a TROLL.... (a large portion of them do). She seemed to know her stuff, but come on ! Now after viewing, I'm still waiting for a reply to a couple questions I asked her 3 days ago.
Now realize, I'm just mentioning the tip of the iceberg about all the pitfalls and hassles here.
Very frustrating to say the least, when buying here can happen relatively fast , but selling can often take years.
BTW , I think you're spot on with ALL your advice and tips.
Wow...thanks for you comments. Philippines is a long way away. Sorry to hear about your experience with the unprofessional agents you are working with. This drives me nuts! Best of luck to you. I feel badly for you:(
Wow, Audra! You are top notch and a wealth of information! I am definitely gleaning from your videos. We are renovating a home that I used to live in. My ex was living here and passed away and we are selling the home. We have done a complete renovation to make it a “new” home for the next owners and are putting the final touches on it with landscaping etc as we speak. Trying to create curb appeal! We want to sell “By Owner” to maximize profits and make sure my children all gets something out of it as well as a good return on investment for all my husband and I are putting into it. We had hoped to move my mom here or use it for income as a rental, but that isn’t going to work for this location unfortunately. Do you have any tips etc for us as we go through this process?
Hello there...thank you so much for watching my videos. I will have to do a video on home sellers selling their own properties. There are pros and cons to everything. If you keep watching my channel and the videos I am producing, you will know more than most agents out there. I know you are going to do great!!
Thank you Audra. I am definitely going to keep watching!
Oh, and yes, dress professionally. I was shocked at the casual clothes agents showed up in.
I seriously don't get it. Dress for success:)
Do you have sunscreen on?
Always:)
Thank you so much for the information! I hired realtor, she didn't showed up for showings, she didn't showed up for house inspection. She lost the byer. Very not professional 😢. I would love to cancel my agreement with her, but I would pay penalty for stopping my agreement 😢.
Not cool!! If you truly want out of the agreement, I would contact her broker and explain how you are not satisfied with your representation. They may provide another agent who is more knowledgable and/or effective. Really sorry:(
@AudraLambert thank you so much for your advice! She started to put house on the market with high price. House is on the listing for 41 days. There are only 1 showing, 1 inspection, and nothing else...
@@nataliiab.6965 UGH!! Seriously, call her broker and ask for a change if you are not satisfied. You have a contract with the broker not the agent...a lot of people don't know that.
@AudraLambert Yes, I didn't know that. Thank you for the information 🙏 I like to watch your videos. It has a tons of very valuable information. I wish I watched it before hiring a realtor
@@nataliiab.6965 Ugh..I don't like the sounds of that:(
thank you so much for the tips; as an owner looking for renting my apartment once I was asked to allow visitors to take photos or share the visit via skype with the partner who was not able to attend Should I give permission?
Its really up to you regarding your comfort level. If you're trying to rent the house out, it may make sense to allow them to do it. All the pictures are on line anyway (if you listed it on line). I just would make sure they seem "normal"...if you know what I mean:)
The way things are right now makes no sense. The Listing Agent, who was presumably hired because they are good at showing properties, doesn’t attend any showings because “the Buyer and their Agent don’t want to them there”. So no one is onsite during Showings to show the good points of the property. That what “Sales” are. The Buyers Agent is in many cases a friend or acquaintance of the prospective Buyer. During the showing the Buyer’s Agent attempts to pick out all of the bad things about the property so the Buyer can justify offering a lower price. And then (until changes take effect) the Seller pays the commission to the Buyer’s Agent. The Listing Agent should be at EVERY showing to present the property. The reason that doesn’t happen now is that we’re told the prospective Buyer wants to talk about the property while they are onsite. That’s not the time to talk. The Buyer should take notes and talk about the property after they leave. The Listing Agents that fix this problem will own all of the Listings. There are a lot of Listing Agents that shouldn’t be Listing Agents.
Absolutely love you and your candid delivery of your very accurate message!!!
I think we were separated at birth.
Kimberly
Laughing about separated at birth. Love that!! Appreciate your comment. Means a lot to me.
Thank you and my pet peeve is pronouncing real tor as re la tur.
Laughing....and you are right!! You will notice in my more recent videos that I have changed that..Blonde moment.
@@AudraLamberthave you considered posting a poll about how people pronounce realtor. I have lived in a lot of different places and it seems to me that the pronunciation is very regional. Of course there will always be the pronunciation snobs who believe they have the only right answer. That’s the problem with the internet bringing together many people from many regions. You are always gracious, which is more than I can say for some of the comments.
Here's a crazy and true story about a seller's agent. I heard voices next door outside my neighbor's empty house that was for sale, and went over to investigate. I found that a child inside was opening the door for her family. The parents explained that they had boosted the child through an unlocked window per the seller's agent's suggestion. I lost my temper, told them I didn't care who said what to them, and to get the heck off the property. They acted as if I was overreacting and unreasonable! What the heck!!
Oh my gosh...that is unbelievable. What are people thinking. I just get so worked up when I hear this kind of stuff. Thanks for sharing. Good grief.
Seller agents to show the house? I live in San Diego and most of the time the seller agent don’t even show up at the open house. They always use their associate agent to host the open house.
I hear ya....its good to ask this question when you're interviewing the listing agent: Who will be showing my house and who will be attending the Open Houses? It should be the agent you signed the listing contract or someone on their broker team.
lol, “rea-la-tor”! I just thought you were, like, a valley girl!
Yup I caught that too
Listing agents being at showings??? They're only getting a $30,000 commission. 15 minutes to add to MLS...often with incorrect info. 3 texts messages to order: photos, sign, lock box. That seems like more than enough work for $30,000.
Sounds like you haven't been working with a pro. However, I do agree there are some agents out there that shouldn't have their license (that's true in any field). Realtors do get a bad rap for sitting back, doing very little, and getting over paid. In. my experience, that's is the farthest from the truth. I do understand your perspective and its a shame there are agents that do very little. Its extremely important to hire the right agent.
@@AudraLambertWell, that's kind of the issue isn't it? Push the responsibility onto the customer to "hire the right agent". I've worked with really good agents, and really bad. I've sold/bought about 20 homes in my life and have learned the differences...the hard way. How does a person buying/selling first, second, third house became an expert on weeding out the scammers? They can't. The issue is agents present themselves as professionals yet do virtually nothing to police themselves. Anyone with a pulse can become an agent and bad actors are never (virtually) kicked out. For example, I sold a house to an agent and before close started to move into my house because he had the lock box code. I reported this to his broker who's literal response, word for word, was "Go F*&^ yourself." My response was to remove all the items that had been moved in. If the agent wanted to report me to police for "stealing" items from my house that would have been cool with me. But he knew he was a criminal and criminals don't call police. House closed, I got paid and got a valuable lesson in how agents operate. Or how about the listing agent who was extremely ill but hide that from me, and then couldn't respond to offers because he was too sick. Still wanted his $30k though....of course. I had almost no recourse because agent know full well people aren't going to tie up a property for months while going thru the courts.
Great info, I like your channel but It's not Re-lator it's Real-tor
Audra, how do you feel about lock boxes? 😂😅
Agents say "buyers do not like 2 agents in the house and schedules can conflict." BS!
You make great videos, and have great content. To back up your expertise, you must pronounce "Realtor" correctly, please!
Real-tor, not Real-A-tor. There's only one A. Otherwise you're doing a great job.
Laughing...if you watch some of my more recent videos I did correct that. My youtube watchers are educating me!!!Thanks so much for watching.
@@AudraLambert I felt bad when you addressed it at the end of the video. Many people pronounce it that way. keep up the good videos!
Yeah! Someone used the toilet and left the seat up AND DIDN’T FLUSH! GROSS! I don’t think ANY buyer or buyer’s agent should be using the seller’s toilet.
That's disgusting! It does happen. ugh!!
I love your presentations, videos, helpful hints and guidelines. But please do not pronounce "realtor" as "real-a-tor". Thank you.
Thank you so much for watching. I am doing a better job with the word realtor. Old habits die hard. Check out my most recent videos...you will see I mostly corrected it 96% of the time. Thanks for the reminder.
💜💕💚💙
Thanks!!
Audra can we get you corrected on how to pronunciate the word for what you do? Anyone that sales real estate should know they are a REALTOR. There is no such word as Real a tor! OMG, You have said it so many times in this video Ive lost count! Audra you are a REALTOR!!! PLEASE GET IT RIGHT...
Hi Sher! You would be proud of me...in my last 5 or so videos I got pronunciation of REAL-TOR correct. Good grief...bad habits die hard. Thanks for pointing it out. Im growing!
Good information. Many listing agents don it want to show the house. Takes a lot of time especially in a rural area where listings can be miles away. And sometimes it’s because the house has issues. Or is a mess In rural areas there are many land listings. Sometimes 50 or 100 acres. That’s a lot to show
I hear ya...not all areas are the same. But if they aren't working that hard, their commission should reflect that.