Lately I have been seeing “coming soon” signs in front of homes that are going to be put on the market. I don’t understand why home owners agree to let real estate agents use their homes as play things. We are currently in a sellers market.
The only people who benefit from”pre-listings” are real estate agents. They have an opportunity to represent both the seller and the buyer. We call that dual agency and I am not a fan. Either a home is for sale or it isn’t there is no kind of for sale.
In dual agency the agent can not represent the buyer or the seller but has to act as a facilitator. That means the agent can not advocate for either party to the detriment of the other. It is also considered dual agency when both agents are from the same office.
Why pay a commission to a facilitator when you can have your own agent who can negotiate fiercely for you and with you so that you come out ahead? An agent can benefit from dual agency by collecting both halves of the commission but the seller doesn’t benefit.
Either you want to sell your home or you don’t. If you are ready to sell don’t let your agent play with your home or use it as bait, just sell it.
also see Pre-listing
So when you see those houses do you go and knock on the door and offer to sell it for them honestly instead? You should. Of course by that time they are probably tied up in a contract.
Yes they are usually under contract by that time but since I don’t know that for sure or when the contract starts maybe I should try some door knocking. It would be fun and perhaps educational. Thanks for the idea. 🙂