The Reputation of Your Austin Realtor Matters

An Austin Realtor who works with buyers in south Austin has brought the buyers for three of our listings in the past 6 months. Sylvia commented to me yesterday that when the agent called to say she was bringing another offer, she told Sylvia “I was so happy to see that it was your listing because I knew it was going to show great and be priced right”.

The intangible value of this can’t be overstated. When you list your home for sale, you probably have no idea what reputation (good or bad) of your agent enjoys among peers, but it’s an important thing to consider. Next time you interview a Realtor, ask them straight up, “what is your reputation among other agents and how will it benefit me if I choose you?”

Likewise, when we ourselves are working with buyers, there are certain listing agents, many from our own Keller Williams office, whom we absolutely know will not place a listing on the market until it is ready to show and who always help their sellers price the home right. Does this matter? Yes, it matters a lot. Those listings get shown more.

In the case of our listings, when other agents know in advance of showing a property that it will be a good show, in most cases professionally staged, they are less likely to weed that listing out when trying to narrow down the 8 to 12 properties that they have time to show the buyer that day. Also, when driving to the listing, the agent is more likely to “prime the pump”, so to speak, by saying things such as “oh, I know this one will show well. This agent always has the home staged well and priced right”. I say such things to my buyers, so I’m sure other agents do the same. This creates, in advance of showing, a positive impression of the home before the buyer has even seen it, much as great curb appeal sets into motion a set of positive emotions about a listing before a buyer even steps inside. As a seller, you want you home to enjoy this ever so subtle but important edge against the competition.

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