Your own worst enemy

I have become very frustrated with agents who are still in the booming market frame of mind in a still down market.

Back in the day it was extremely rare to make an offer on a property and get an acceptance without a counter. There are still agents who feel they must have a counter when they get any offer on one of their listings. The fact of the matter is a lot of times the 1st offer will be your best offer and sometimes your only offer. Now what are they trying to do, maybe to say to their seller that they have worth but a lot of times they are hurting the very people they are hired to help.

The key to it all is to perform a very thorough market analysis and be very honest with your seller on what to expect. When you as an agent give your seller false hope on what their property is worth today you are contributing to the down market.

Always remember that as a seller or a buyer it is your call on what to offer and what to accept. Your agent is bound to follow your instructions; the agent is paid for their knowledge of the market and their skill of negotiation and to protect your interests always without fail. You should ask for your agent’s input but it is still your call.

Jim Bagwell