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11. Doesn’t ask you any questions
You will probably have a lot of questions for your agent throughout the process, but the agent should also understand the business well enough to know the right questions to ask you. This way, they’ll know exactly what you need and be able to help you give accurate information, on the seller’s disclosure, for instance. If they aren’t asking you questions and seem like a passive part of the process, you may need to reach out to someone who’s more proactive.
12. You’re hearing crickets, or worse, nothing at all
Perhaps the most obvious telltale sign of an ineffective real estate agent is if your home has been listed for a while and hasn’t sold. Or worse, there hasn’t been any interest or showings. If this is the case, it might be that your agent isn’t doing enough to get your home in front of the right buyers.
What to do if you find yourself under contract with a bad agent
If you’ve already signed a listing agreement with an agent and now realize that it’s not a good fit, or they’re simply just a bad agent, we’re here to help you figure out what to do next. The listing agreement you signed is a legally binding contract that gives the agent exclusive rights to sell the property for a certain period of time, so at this point, there are a few things you can do.
Request a written release from the agreement. An email will suffice. Include your reason for wanting to end the relationship, whether it’s due to poor communication, disappointing results, or another failure to meet expectations. When drafting agreements for her clients, Campbell always includes a clause that gives the seller the right to cancel at any time. If there is a cancellation clause in the agreement, there shouldn’t be any issue. If there is not an “out” in the agreement, the agent might still be willing to release you, perhaps with a small fee.
Request that your home be removed from the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). If there is no cancellation clause and the agent will not agree to release you from the agreement, you can request that they withdraw your home from the MLS system and discontinue marketing the property. If this strategy fits your selling timeline, simply wait for the listing agreement to expire, typically between two to six months, before signing with a new agent.
Ask for a different agent within the same firm. Another option is to request that the brokerage assign a different agent to your property, as contracts are typically between the seller and the brokerage rather than with an individual agent.
If your home is already under contract with a buyer, parting ways with an agent becomes trickier. If you are in breach of an existing sales contract, you could potentially be on the hook for commission fees. In which case, unless things are really bad, and you don’t think you’re going to get what you want out of the deal, you may want to just proceed with the transaction and get a better agent next time you sell.
How to avoid partnering with a ‘bad’ agent
Now that you know how to spot an ineffective or incompetent agent, how can you avoid signing a contract with one in the first place? Or how do you move on to a better agent after a bad one?
Get a recommendation from a trusted referral.
As a homeowner, you’ve probably asked friends and family for referrals before you hire a handyman, a gutter cleaner, a deck stainer, or a house cleaner. So when it’s time to hire a Realtor, call your mom, your best friend in town, or your favorite coworker and find out who sold their home.
But this strategy comes with a caveat: The right agent for someone else won’t necessarily be the right agent for you. This is a highly personal choice, and you’ll benefit from partnering with an agent who’s tailored to your specific needs.
Check the agent’s experience in your area and price point.
One agent might have no problem selling a $150,000 home, for example, but might be out of their element when it comes to marketing a million-dollar property. At each pricing threshold, different skills and experience levels come into play. The same goes for geographical area: An agent might be adept at selling farms and rural homes but could come up short when listing urban properties.
Rule out any agents who don’t have a presence online.
In our digital age, competent agents will have an online profile with their statistics, closings, reviews, and other data. “If an agent isn’t tech-savvy and has no online presence, it’s best to look for someone else,” says Campbell.
Another way to see how their online presence stacks up is to stalk their social media. Are they using it to market the homes they’ve listed, or is it just pictures of their cat from three years ago? This can help you evaluate how proactive they will be in marketing your home.
Dig into days on market.
Days on market tracks the time between when a house is listed and when it goes under contract with a buyer (the time from contract to close is not included). Most sellers would prefer a faster sale, so if an agent’s days on market is lower than the average for the area, that’s a good sign of their performance.
Conduct an interview (remember: the agent is working for you)
When you hire an agent, it’s easy to think that they’re in charge. After all, they are the expert when it comes to selling homes. But you are the expert on your home and what you need. So, while you definitely don’t have to be overbearing or “bossy,” you do need to interview an agent, keeping in mind that even though it’s a team effort, they are working for you.
In the initial consultation, the agent should lay out a road map of expectations and their plan for selling your home. On the flip side, if the consultation doesn’t leave you feeling confident in the agent’s skills and commitment, he or she is probably not right for you. And if an agent fails to request a consultation altogether, that’s another red flag. You should consider interviewing at least three agents to get a feel for who will work best for you.
