Feedback - strange word

[jasoncrouch]

I was thinking about the word "feedback". As a Realtor, I get calls all the time from listing agents asking me for feedback. I sometimes wish that I could give them a loud, screeching, high-pitched whine (the other feedback, like when a microphone or guitar is too close to an amp). Here's some good feedback for you!

What an odd word.

[Malok]

Too much coffee for you today?

With your posts today, you seem...excited.

[jasoncrouch]

No, I'm good. I just thought it was funny.

[Dan Connolly]

I used to print "Please don't call for feedback" on my cards. I usually show a fair number of houses per week and the last thing I want to do is talk to a bunch of agents about why their listing hasn't sold, half the time I can hardly remember the house. I give it when asked, but I don't like it.

[Eric Blackwell]

Many of the folks in our area are now getting their Showing feedback via e-mail. There is an automated system called Homefeedback dot com (full disclosure--I have NO relation to them whatsoever-just was impressed and bought) that is actually working quite well for our agents. We are getting about 80-90% response rate, it is easy to use and the other agents in our MLS don't gripe as much about the intrusive phone calls.

Another plus--no matter HOW persuasive you in helping them with pricing a home, there is always this nagging little voice in the back of their head saying "I wonder if he priced to too low just to make it wasier to sell." We know it isn't true, but they can't help themselves.

This way the seller gets the feedback DIRECTLY from the selling agent warts and all. Good bad and ugly. This usually reinforces what the listing agent has been telling them all along and we have now had MANY examples of sellers calling us and asking our agents to come over so that they could discuss how much to reduce the price. Pretty cool.

BTW-Dan..it has a picture of the house on the email...'cause Lord knows noone can remember them all.

Anyone else using a similar system?

Best;

Eric

[jasoncrouch]

Eric - I have seen this system in action, and it is much preferred to the random phone calls. The ones that really bug me are those that call REPEATEDLY about the same property. This takes a lot of the irritation out of the process.

[escapeso]

I like the emails better. Sometimes I get phone calls like 2 weeks later. And at that point I have seen like 70 houses. Maybe my memory is bad but the chances I will remember anything is pretty slim.

[Lydia]

Why wouldn't you give a Realtor feedback on homes? I make it a point to send a short note by email or give them a call on how it went.

With over 1200 agents in my area, it's a good way to build a network of friends and associates that can maybe return the favor sometime. It's a simple, polite thing to do.

[Dan Connolly]

I show a lot of property, upwards of 50 homes per weekend minimum. I don't like returning 50 phone calls. It takes 5 hours. The emails are easier. If there is something that I notice that might help I don't really mind, but I am not the type of agent who asks the Buyers why they don't like each house. A lot of times I don't really know exactly why they didn't like it.

I know it seems selfish but I have been doing this for a long time and I don't really think its my job to educate another agent's sellers. The listing agent should know why the house isn't selling. I do give feedback though when asked, but I don't like it and I don't ask other agents for it.

BTW`there are around 30,000 agents in my market.

[judyo]

We use the automated e-mail feedback requests but many agents don't reply to them so I do try to call them, although you pretty much have to catch them answering their phone to actually get feedback.

I always give it because my sellers expect to hear something. They want to know if something could be changed besides price or if the negatives I have already mentioned are what is really turning buyers off.

I'm all for helping to educate a seller that doesn't have a clue (probably didn't believe their listing agent and needs to hear it from someone else).