Sellers Who Plan to Interview Sacramento Realtors Like Free Advice

Next week I have an appointment with a seller who wants to interview Sacramento Realtors. She told me as much when she called. It wasn’t a free-flowing natural conversation. I let her do most of the talking, and it seemed like she was a bit hostile. As though she didn’t like the fact she had to call to discuss the sale of her home with a stranger. But she was the one who did her homework and decided she expected to hire a veteran Realtor with plenty of experience who sells a ton of homes. Nothing wrong with that goal.  But there was something wrong with the way she went about it and her tone.

She sounded like she was quoting from a script she found online. Quite possibly from an article I had written for The Balance many years ago. It’s not really her fault because people do not know how to hire an agent. They choose wrong criteria, like commission rate or sales price suggestions. And besides, that article was designed to guide the hiring of an average-Joe kinda agent, the masses, not agents of a certain caliber.

Another agent in my office and I were discussing the attitudes of sellers who want to interview Sacramento Realtors. He laughed that his viewpoint might sound arrogant, but he believes after a certain point in an agent’s career, we should not be subject to interviews and interrogation. Because his sellers find him by looking through a variety of agents online and picking the Realtor they feel best fits their goals and objectives.

In other words, his feelings were if a seller didn’t know by reading about him that he was a good match, he didn’t want to be interviewed like he was brand new. There’s a lot of truth in that statement. I can relate. Hence my explanation to you, the reader.  I have so much stuff about me online that any seller can research: hundreds of agent reviews, a strong track record, bunches of top-ranking awards, a solid reputation, on top of 44 years in the business.

It can be insulting to be treated like a loaf of bread in the grocery store. Like getting picked up and squeezed. When sellers want to interview Sacramento Realtors and they choose top producers for this strategy, they often already have an agent they want to hire. They try to get advice from the pros to give to their novice. Plus, somebody told them they needed to interview other agents and get opinions.

The seller who called has issues with her property. It’s not a 5-star listing. She wants me to meet her at the house and give her ideas to fix it up. However, she made a big point out of saying the meeting was not a commitment. That’s a red flag, plus it doesn’t make me very motivated to meet with her. We set a tentative time and date, but I had misgiving immediately when I hung up. There comes a point in your career when interviews are unnecessary. Meetings yes, interviews no.

Of course, the seller also promised to email me with all of her information and she has not. I don’t have her phone number because she called from a private number. When another seller asked me to stop by her house on that same day, I double-booked the appointment. Because that’s a seller who is very excited to hire me. She has done her research and knows what I have to offer.

Do I want to visit with a seller who was rude, demanding and secretive? Or, should I visit the seller who is ready to list with me now and is jazzed? Easy decision.