Choose a Realtor

F - Listing Agents: What are critical errors made by listing agents?

Inaccuracies threaten showings:

If you decide to list, do yourself a tremendous favor by eliminating a major source of mistakes that agents commonly do.

Start by requesting a copy of the “listing sheet” of your home–that all the agents will see. This can be easily emailed to you. This page of information is what stands between the buyers wanting to see inside your home and sometimes not wanting or even being able to see inside.

All types of errors are made in the information about your home that is input into the MLS. The listing agent could have written down information incorrectly, transcribed it onto a form in error or the clerical staff who input the information could have made a typo. Not only can information be in error, it could be poorly worded, misspelled, or accidentally omitted. Errors are made everyday and no one really notices, especially the busy listing agent. The seller rarely reviews this vital document, always assuming it’s correct. Let's take a look at samples of listing mistakes.

Carefully review the listing sheet immediately after the property is posted to the MLS. If there are items that could potentially eliminate agent or buyer interest, have your agent quickly make changes. You can easily check to see that the changes have also been forwarded to realtor.com for updating.

Advise your agent ahead of time that this is the procedure you want followed if errors exist. This warning should induce the agent to verify all information for accuracy. 

The photos:

All listings are posted to the MLS with a picture (often multiple pictures) of the property. Check these out since your home’s curb appeal, as provided by the photos, is a key element in the buyers’ elimination process.

The front exterior photo of your home is extremely important and is often glossed over by owners. Your home could be poorly displayed for any number of reasons: accidental enhancement of power lines, the neighbor’s RV shows, cars were in the driveway, the garage door was up or the photo angle tended to cause distortion due to the position of the sun, etc. If the front exterior photo is unacceptable, or even questionable, it must be replaced.

Be sure to have a lot of interior photos taken that enhance amenities: great views, fireplaces, kitchens, hardwood floors, railings and banisters, etc. Sounds crazy, but go ahead and display pictures of all rooms, especially if they've been enhanced by a professional home stager. Buyers are easily swayed by furnishings and decorating that are not part of the sale.

Consider outside shots. Don’t have photos in the MLS that are out of season. Buyers may assume you’ve been on the market a long time. If it’s winter and you have great shots of your gardens, spread a few of these out on the dining room table for view during the showings.

If the seasons change, request that new MLS photos be taken. Avoid starting out looking like an old listing.